The Fairfield Community School District is moving forward with a new phased plan to improve Fairfield Middle School, with district leaders hoping the scaled approach will gain broader public support after several unsuccessful bond referendums in recent years.
Under the proposal, the district would first construct a new two-story classroom wing on the north side of the current middle school building, where the bus lane is currently located. The approximately 50-thousand-square-foot addition would include 31 classrooms, while the existing gymnasium, commons, library, band room, and art room would remain in use.
Fairfield Superintendent Zach Wigle says the first phase can be completed without raising taxes by using current and future SAVE funds. SAVE, or Secure an Advanced Vision for Education, is funded through Iowa’s statewide one-percent sales tax dedicated to school infrastructure projects.
The district plans to use 4 million dollars currently available in SAVE funds, along with 22-and-a-half million dollars in bonding against future SAVE revenue, to pay for the first phase of construction.
If Phase 1 is completed, the district would then move into Phase 2, which includes demolishing the eastern portion of the current building and replacing it with a new gymnasium, commons area, kitchen, library, and fine arts spaces. The newer fifth-grade wing would remain and could eventually be repurposed for district offices or other uses.
District leaders say the future of Phase 2 will depend in part on a smaller general obligation bond referendum expected to go before voters this November. Wigle says the district has structured the financing plan so taxpayers would not see an increase in the school tax levy if the bond passes.
The district also plans to pursue grants and a capital campaign with assistance from Pathfinders RC&D of Fairfield.
According to the proposed timeline, initial designs for Phase 1 are expected to be completed by June, with final designs finished by October. Construction bidding could begin by late 2026, with work starting as early as April of 2027 and Phase 1 expected to be complete by the fall of 2028.
As part of the project, the district says the middle school bus lane will also be rerouted to improve traffic flow and safety, with those changes expected to be finished in the spring of 2027.
Wigle says the district remains committed to providing a modern learning environment for students while taking what he called a fiscally responsible approach to facility improvements.