Ongoing Projects

Forest Hills School District is grateful for the longstanding support the community has shown toward the district’s efforts to maintain quality facilities and safely extend their lifespans. In May 2023, community members voted to approve a combination levy that included 1.5 mills for the permanent improvement fund. PI Fund revenue is required by law to be spent on properties, assets or improvements with an estimated life or usefulness of five years or more (building updates, roofs, parking lots, heating and cooling systems, or new buses or technology, as examples).

The district recognizes its obligation to the community to make the most of this significant investment and ensure these funds make a lasting impact on school buildings and other facilities. FHSD is also committed to financial transparency by keeping taxpayers informed of ongoing efforts to improve or repair facilities, providing updates on the progress of these projects and explaining the cost associated with this work.

This webpage will be regularly updated as a way to share information with the FHSD community related to facilities projects that were made possible, in part, by the 2023 permanent improvement levy.

Strategic Planning

In order to most effectively utilize the permanent improvement funds, the FHSD Business Operations Department worked closely with the Superintendent and Treasurer in a careful and deliberate planning process. As it does with all spending, the district endeavors to make intelligent, evidence-based decisions with the best interest of students and taxpayers in mind. These efforts led to the creation of the district’s Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan, a document that provides an overview of anticipated facilities projects district-wide.

Not every item that requires attention can be addressed with the initial permanent improvement funding that is available as of spring 2024. For historical context, you can reference this presentation by Superintendent Larry Hook from October 2022 that provides an overview of the significant facilities-related costs facing FHSD. The process to complete the necessary repairs and upgrades that are currently identified will take multiple years, which is why the strategic planning process is so important.

To help inform the decision-making and prioritization process, the district commissioned an independent, third-party review of all FHSD properties and facilities. This assessment was conducted by Four Seasons Environmental, Inc. and resulted in more than 700 pages of detailed information about the current status of FHSD’s buildings and grounds. It’s important to note that while this information helped shape the district’s strategy in creating its capital improvement plan, final decisions may differ from the documentation drafted by Four Seasons Environmental, Inc. You can view the facilities assessment conducted by the company here.

Using that independent data, in coordination with internal expertise and historical knowledge, FHSD leadership developed a five-year planning cycle to begin tackling the highest priority and most critical projects first. This Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan allows the community to see how the district intends to address different needs and issues over the course of multiple years. This plan will be monitored and regularly updated by district administrators, and some emergent and critical issues that require immediate attention may adjust the individual project target dates. The plan is intended to be flexible and is expected to adjust over the coming years in response to changing needs of different buildings, as well as potential fluctuations in anticipated costs for construction labor and materials.

Click here to view the current Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan, which was updated in October 2024.

The district will typically begin work on facilities projects during the summer months to attempt to minimize any potential impact on classroom learning. Occasionally, projects may carry into the school year or emergency repairs may be necessary when school is in session. Although those realities are unavoidable, FHSD works diligently to limit those scenarios from happening and takes careful precautions to ensure there is as little disruption to the educational operations as possible.

Formal updates of the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan are anticipated to take place each spring in advance of any planned summer projects. Those updates will be shared during public meetings of the Board of Education and on this webpage.

Anticipated Projects for the Current Year

Check back regularly for progress updates and photos from the different projects slated to begin this summer. Click the plus button below to read a detailed list of projects and estimated costs.

Anticipated Projects for Future Years

Completed Projects

This section will include descriptions of major facilities projects that have been completed, beginning in the 2024-2025 school. FHSD created this webpage to document the usage of increased permanent improvement funds that were approved by voters in May 2023. The 1.5 mill permanent improvement levy began generating revenue for the school district in 2024.

Helpful Resources

• Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan (updated Oct. 2024)
• Facilities Assessment by Four Seasons Environmental, Inc. (completed Oct. 2023)