Major upgrades planned with passage of school bond

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - Security, media centers, HVAC systems, cafeterias, sports complex and so much more. The $34 million bond will go toward upgrades at all Meridian schools.

“Oh, this is a huge game changer,” MPSD’s Director of Operations Clay Sims said. “I think about the children that we saw pictures of recently that just started their first days of pre-K. This is going to have a huge impact on their scholastic career moving forward.”

Some of the larger projects include major renovations at Northwest and Magnolia middle schools, along with a new baseball, softball complex on the campus of Meridian High School.

“We probably will bundle safety, access control and patrol perimeters. We don’t know if we will bundle those districts wide or just a few buildings at a time,” Sims said.

The renovations, additions and upgrades planned will be multifaceted. They will be carried out in several phases that will be grouped accordingly.

“We will probably see the big projects break ground in early spring,” architect Gary Bailey explained. “Some of the smaller projects maybe toward the end of the year closer to Christmas.”

Once the projects begin, Bailey says they are looking at about a year and a half before completion.

“The stadium and the middle school projects will be December of ‘24,” Bailey said. “It’s also a challenge in this environment with a lot of construction projects going on. We want to make sure we get a schedule that will get us the most economical bids.”

According to the MPSD website, the following upgrades are planned.

Elementary Schools

• Secure Entries
• Secure Fencing
• Perimeter Secure Hardware
• Improve ADA Compliance
• Upgrades to elementary learning spaces:
• Media Centers, science labs, playgrounds
• & auditoriums
• Current ESSER Renovations
• HVAC
• Toilets

Middle Schools

• Major Renovations to Existing Middle Schools
• Safety and Security (Same as Elementaries)
• New Ceilings/Lights
• Site Improvements/Drainage
• Major Gym Renovations/Additions
• Major Additions of Classrooms/Labs
• New Entries and Administration
• Major Additions to Media Center
• New Cafeteria/Common Space
• New Fine Arts Suite

High School/Ross Collins

• New On Campus Baseball/Softball Complex
• Safety and Security Upgrades (Same as Elementaries)
• Major Canopy Connections to Separate Buildings to Unite the Campus
• Major Renovations of Band Hall/Fine Arts

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