Middle School Construction Updates
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Check out this month’s video update to see how OFMS is coming to life with fresh paint, sleek cabinetry and lockers, as well as a shiny new gym floor—all showcasing our Panther style!
Next month work will continue on electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems to power the future of learning. Installation of terrazzo flooring, interior doors, furniture and IT equipment will also get underway indoors, and final site work will begin to add the perfect finishes! We’re proud to share that the project remains ahead of schedule AND under budget—a huge win for our community!
Stay tuned for more updates as we get ready to open the doors to something truly special.
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With 80% of the work completed and everything coming together beautifully, OFMS construction continues to be ahead of schedule and remains under budget. This month’s update highlights several key areas of progress along with some big news!
Painting, flooring, and finishes work continues and includes elements to reflect the Panther style.
Installation of kitchen equipment and gym flooring are currently underway with athletic equipment and sound systems to follow.
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing continue as planned.
The big news: Thanks to smart savings from the 2023 referendum projects, Abrams Elementary is getting a new cafeteria and commons area! Our School Board approved the projects at the last board meeting and work is expected to begin this summer so we are ready for the 2025-26 school year.
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Check out this time lapse video of the construction through February. OFMS is 80% complete, on time, under budget—now that's A+ construction!
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Exciting progress at OFMS! Several key areas are nearing completion as we bring this project to life. Inside, painting is in full swing, along with mechanical piping, ductwork, electrical finishes, and ceiling grid installation. Cabinetry, lockers, and plumbing fixtures are also coming together. (See for yourself in the February video update.)
Plus, our kitchen equipment and interior doors have officially arrived! Another a big milestone to note is OFMS has been transferred to permanent power!
What’s next? More ceiling work, hard tile, exterior metal wall panels, cabinetry, lockers, painting, carpet, and interior doors. And for the sports fans—basketball hoops are set for March, with the gym floor following in March/April!
Stay tuned—OFMS is shaping up beautifully!
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OFMS is kicking off 2025 with new style and exciting updates. Work continues on time and on budget – stay tuned for more!
Click here for highlights of this month’s School Board Update and check out the video posted for images of the new styling approved for our middle school.
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We are excited to share the latest updates at OFMS as we reach the 65% complete milestone. Overall, we are making impressive progress and this past month included another opportunity for students to get involved with the project. Watch this month’s video update for the details.
October Board Review can be viewed here.
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Our Middle School is 60% complete and going according to plan. Interior work continues and more spaces begin to take shape. Check out the August video update for a quick peek at the latest changes inside the building.
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Significant strides have been made inside our new middle school, and interior spaces are taking shape:
Technical education area is seeing the installation of a dust collector and interior walls for the agriculture and tech education labs.
Library and media center will provide collaborative workspaces and a significant amount of natural light.
Academic wing includes larger classrooms with windows for natural lighting, open spaces for student collaboration, elevator, and staircases for accessibility to all floors, and dedicated HVAC systems for temperature and airflow control by room
The project is ahead of schedule and under budget, as ongoing work on HVAC, electrical, fire sprinkler, plumbing, interior framing, and drywalling continues. Next up for interior work is wall painting and bathroom tiling, so stay tuned!
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The middle school now has a finished roof and 70% of the exterior brick has been completed. Additionally, exterior windows are being installed and interior work on the building is progressing quickly. Some of the highlights since our last update include:
Interior steel stud walls 60% complete
Interior drywall continues
Interior mechanical piping and ductwork ongoing
Electrical, fire sprinkler, plumbing rough-ins ongoing
IT and Audio/Visual budget reviews were also part of this month’s update. Details on the budget milestones for the overall project can be found in the following board presentations:
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The middle school construction work continues on schedule and under budget. It has been easy to see the exterior work to date, and as roofing nears completion we are excited to share how the interior spaces are taking shape. Some of the highlights since our last update include:
Exterior brick is 50% complete
Foam insulation is finished
Interior walls are being framed, with masonry and drywall underway
Mechanical and electrical rough ins are in progress
As work continues to ensure a quality project that is on time and on budget, it is reassuring to have reached the halfway point and remained under budget. Thanks to the successful bidding process and a well-managed contingency fund, the District has been able to increase the overall quality of our middle school by making a few adjustments as the project has progressed, including:
Interior garage door between fitness area and multi-purpose room for increased visibility
Retractable cord reels for Tech Ed Equipment
Interior windows in Band Practice Rooms for increased visibility
Automated loading dock for safer and more efficient use of receiving area
The good news is, even with these quality additions, we are still within budget and ahead of schedule! More importantly, we are building better to create a learning environment that will inspire pride in our students, staff, and community.
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Our new middle school is taking shape fast thanks to the mild weather over the last few months. And, as our new middle school comes to fruition, there is a lot to see and update on this month.
Steelwork is completed for the entire building
Rubber roofing over the new gymnasium is installed
Exterior framing, underground plumbing, and electrical work continues
Masonry brick veneer work is underway, along with concrete work on the academic wing of the building
For a sneak peek at the work to date, click here to watch a quick video.
In addition to the construction highlights this month, there are also financial highlights to share. As work continues to ensure a quality project that is on time and on budget, it is exciting to be able to share that our project is ahead of schedule and under budget. While there have been some recent adjustments to the project, thanks to thoughtful planning and transparent communication we are confident in our ability to remain within budget
Click here for the April 8th Board review or the project changes and budget to date.
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Construction continues to progress on time and on budget at our middle school site. It’s been a busy couple of months with these highlights:
Gym walls are going up
Masonry walls are finished
Structural steel is in progress
Exterior framing, plumbing, and electrical work is underway
Up next is pouring concrete slabs
For an up-close look at the construction progress on site, check out the view from these recent photos onsite.
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Work on our new middle school is continues as planned, and has provided some learning opportunities for our Tech Ed students. This month’s highlights include:
Permanent power installation is complete
Foundation excavation and concrete foundation work continues
Tech Ed students visited the site and received a concrete donation for bench projects
For an up-close look at the construction progress on site, check out this month's video update.
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If you’ve driven by recently you might have already noticed that site excavation is nearly complete and foundation work is underway. Construction highlights to date include:
Utilities, water main, storm and sewer site work is complete
Site excavation work is close to complete
Foundation excavation and concrete foundation work has begun
The project is moving along as planned, and if you want an up-close look at the construction progress onsite check out this month's video update.
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Much has changed at the new middle school site since August. In addition to the official groundbreaking hosted in September, site work is already underway,
Click here to see how fast things are changing at the site.
Middle School Design Updates
Click the image to view the 5.9 Community Presentation
Our 7th Graders shared ideas for the new Middle School
District Design Team Visits Area Schools to gather first-hand information on different middle school designs and materials
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The most recent bid package (#6) for our new middle school came in under budget and has been approved by the Board. This package included work for the:
Building envelope
Building finishes
Mechanical
Electrical
Plumbing
The Board was also provided a progress update and a look at what to expect next as construction gets underway – which includes work on footings, foundations, parking lot, sewer work, and wall fabrication.
Click here to see the board presentation. Questions on the bidding process should be directed to bwarren@nexussolutions.com.
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Bid Results have been approved by the board for the following scopes of work:
Excavation, Site Demo, Landscaping
Site Utilities
Asphalt Paving & Striping
Site Concrete
Foundation Concrete
The next scope of work out for bid is:
Electrical Equipment (Supply electrical equipment as shown on drawings and/ or detailed in specifications)
Bids accepted through August 30, 2023, 2 pm
Bid Inquiries submitted to jfreiburger@nexussolutions.com
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JUNE 5 MEETING: the Oconto Falls Board of Education met in a special session to receive an updates on the design and budget estimate of the new middle school project. In that meeting, the board was made aware by staff from Nexus Solutions that the project was receiving budget estimates that would require either modification to the plan to reduce cost or a decision by the board to allocate fiscal resources in the form of interest earnings to cover an estimated budgetary shortfall. A design modification option was proposed to board members to consider removing the fitness center from the middle school project as a cost-saving measure. The special meeting was intended to provide board members with the information and then ask them to consider taking action at the regular board meeting on June 12, 2023.
JUNE 12 MEETING: the Oconto Falls Board of Education met in a regular session to discuss the potential options to address the estimated budgetary shortfall for the new middle school. After considerable conversation, the board took action to keep the fitness center in the design and, if needed, allocate the financial resources necessary to cover the budgetary shortfall. It was also noted at the meeting:
when actual bids come in the Board has the option of a redesign if budget is beyond what the board is willing to support
if a redesign were needed it would impact the project timeline
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On May 9, the District Design Team provided our community with an update on the new Middle School design progress. The Team spent time outlining the project non-negotiables, presenting the 50% floor plans and site plans, as well as explaining what to expect as the design process continues and they work to finalize designs within the budget approved by our community.
Attendees got a chance to hear the details and ask questions during the session. For those of you unable to attend, click here to watch the video of the event.
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Design work continues on the New Middle School, with the most recent updates provided to the Board of Education on March 13, 2023. In addition to getting guidance from the Board, our 7th graders shared their vision for an “Ideal Middle School” during an evening at our current Middle School. Watch the video clip on the left to see what’s important to them!
Over the next 60 days, the Design Team will be busy developing a site plan, continuing user group and team meetings, updating the Board on floor plans and exterior elevations, and then sharing the floor plans with our community. Watch for more information on the public presentation time and date later this Spring.
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The District Design Team’s February 14 Meeting was used to review feedback from the recent school visits and use that information to guide discussions on effective designs for our new middle school.
The team also outlined design goals and non-negotiables that will be used as guiding principles throughout the design process as we engage different user groups.
Click here to view Goals & Non Negotiables.
If you have any questions or comments on these guiding principles, please contact Dean Hess, Superintendent of Schools.
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On January 25, the District Design Team visited three surrounding area middle schools – West De Pere, Clintonville, Luxemburg-Casco – to gather meaningful, first-hand information on different designs, layouts, and interior/exterior finishes as we begin the design process for our new middle school. All three of these Districts provided an opportunity for our team to:
Observe modern learning spaces, constructed under similar budgets, with students in them.
Understand how design decisions will serve staff and students now and into the future.
These observations will be reviewed as a team at our next District Design Team Meeting, so stay tuned for more updates on the design process.
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As the design process gets underway for the new middle school, we want to share some updates so far:
• On January 3, the District Design Team participated in The Third Teacher Book Exercise, facilitated by Nexus Solutions to discuss desired attributes of the new Oconto Falls Middle School. The exercise included Administration, Staff, Parents, and Community Members.
• On January 25, the District Design Team will be visiting middle schools in surrounding school districts to look at different designs, layouts, and interior/exterior finishes as we begin the design process.
Ongoing design activities this month include:
• Reviewing Oconto Falls Middle School Program against National Education Standards to determine quantity and sizes of spaces required.
• Generating a preliminary floor plan for District Design Team review and comment. After a preliminary floor plan review, the plan will be added to this page and presented to the public.
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After gaining community support to move forward, the District’s Administrative Team met with Nexus Solutions to review the design process and next steps, as well as project scope and schedule. A preliminary project timeline can be found here.
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Bryan Baumler (Board Member, Community Member, and Parent)
Michael Bouche (Building and Grounds Supervisor, Community Member, and Parent)
Jonathan Dunks (Middle School Assistant Principal and Community Member)
Dean Hess (Superintendent and Community Member)
Corey Jeffers (Director of Technology)
Ginny O'Harrow (Community Member and Parent)
Greg Kuhn (Community Member and Parent)
Stephanie Landreman (Middle School Principal)
Ashley Maederer (Middle School Teacher, Community Member, and Parent)
Kim Sinclair (District Business Manager, Community Member, and Parent)
Emilie Trudell (Community Member and Parent)
Tami Umentum (Middle School Teacher, Community Member, and Parent)
Debbie Woods (Operations Supervisor, Community Member, and Parent)
PROJECT BUDGET FOR NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL IS SET
