Ground was broken Tuesday morning on a new Highland Elementary School, a project more than four years in the making. During a board meeting later in the day, district leaders also outlined safety measures being implemented on the site and plans to rebid a major construction package.
The new Highland Elementary will replace the current school, which was designated as a transitional building in January 2022. District leaders said the project represents both an investment in the future and a continuation of the traditions that have defined Highland for generations.
Superintendent Charley Broughton said the groundbreaking reflects the district’s commitment to its motto, “working together for kids,” and thanked elected officials, community partners, school leaders, architects, engineers, and contractors who helped bring the project to this stage.
“Today, we aren’t just constructing a new building,” he said. “We’re building a future where every student can truly thrive at the Hive.”
The new school will be built on the district-owned campus shared with Daviess County Middle School. Highland will feature a dedicated entrance off Calumet Trace, a secure vestibule, grade-level classroom wings, a two-story commons area, a storm shelter gymnasium, expanded outdoor learning and recreation spaces, and other modern educational features. More details on the design of the building and the traffic flow can be found here.
DCPS Board Chair Tom Payne said the plans represent more than bricks and mortar.
“As we look at the schematics and designs displayed behind us, we see more than just blueprints. We see the future of learning in Daviess County,” Payne said.
For Highland Principal Beth Hutchinson, the day carried personal significance.
“My journey began here as a student, and the sense of community that I experienced as a child brought me back to serve in this incredible school,” she said. “For 66 years, Highland has been more than a building. It’s been a family where students, staff, and the community have come together to make a difference in the lives of kids.”
While the new facility will offer updated learning spaces and modern amenities, Hutchinson said the school’s identity will remain unchanged.
“We are excited to continue serving our students and families in a state-of-the-art facility while carrying forward the traditions that have defined Highland for decades,” she said.
During a DCPS Board of Education meeting held shortly after the groundbreaking, district officials discussed extensive safety measures that will be implemented to separate construction activity from students and daily school operations.
Tim Geegan, construction manager with Alliance Corporation, told board members that the entire construction area will be enclosed by fencing with controlled access gates and no-trespassing signage. Because of the site’s proximity to the current school and parent traffic, he said the project will be managed similarly to an occupied-school renovation project.
Geegan said all workers will be required to wear identification badges and undergo background checks before being allowed on site. The district and construction team are also developing procedures for maintaining those records while protecting sensitive personal information.
“We’ll go through all the protocol that we normally do as if we’re working in an occupied job site or occupied school,” Geegan said. “That’s the degree of safety that we’re going to put in place on this.”
The board also voted Tuesday to reject and rebid the project’s masonry package after receiving a single bid that significantly exceeded estimates. Geegan said the overall project budget remains approximately $28.15 million and that most bid packages came in within expected ranges. Officials plan to restructure the masonry and insulated concrete form portions of the work into separate bid packages in hopes of attracting additional bidders and reducing costs before construction progresses further.
Geegan said he expects the package to be rebid within the next several weeks.
