Architects present preliminary timeline for second public high school in Jefferson City

Architects Alliance presented a preliminary timeline to the Jefferson City Public Schools Board of Education Monday for the construction of a second high school.

ABC 17 News reported that voters approved a $130 million bond issue and operating tax levy last month for the new school and major renovations to the current high school.

The new high school will be located just off Highway 179 near St. Mary’s Hospital.

Construction on the building is expected to start in May 2018, according to Cary Gampher with Architects Alliance.

It should be completed in time for students to attend the high school in the 2019-2020 school year.

Architects finished Phase One of the design work before the April election so voters could see renderings of the two high schools. They plan to finish Phase Two soon and then the bidding process will begin.

Workers are expected to start clearing the site off Highway 179 by late summer.

Then around January 2018, they will start some work on the site before construction of the building such as paving the roads to the school grounds.

“There’s actually quite a bit of work that’s being done behind the scenes so we can get to that point to where we can actually stick a shovel in the ground and folks can start seeing that outward progress down there at the site,” said Steve Bruce, the president of the JCPS Board of Education.

Construction at the current high school is also expected to start next May as a part of the major renovations to the school. That will include construction of a new gym, commons space, elevator tower and media center.