MATTAWAN – Mattawan Consolidated School has announced the first groundbreaking ceremony for the district’s inaugural construction project under the $110 million School Construction Bond. The event will take place March 10, at 6 p.m. at the stadium and will officially launch the much-anticipated stadium renovation project. The public is welcome to attend.
The renovation work will include several key improvements designed to enhance both the safety and functionality of the district’s athletic facilities:
Game Field Replacement: Installation of a state-of-the-art turf playing surface to provide a modern, durable, and safe environment for our athletes. The field will be striped for mul-tiple sports ensuring maximum usage.
Track and Field Event Enhancements: Replacement of the existing track surface, along with expanded field event amenities to better support our track and field programs.
Perimeter Fencing Upgrades: Replacement of the immediate perimeter fencing to im-prove security and aesthetics around the stadium.
New Pavement/Asphalt: Replacement of all perimeter sidewalks and pathways
Bleacher Renovation: Renovations to home bleachers, including the addition of seating to the south of the current home bleachers, accommodating the district’s band.
At the Feb. 10, Mattawan Board of Education meeting, the board approved the bid package for this project at an estimated cost of approximately $6 million – nearly $1 million under budget. “This cost-effective approach allows us to maximize the impact of the bond funds while delivering topquality improvements to our facilities,” said MCS Superintendent Randy Fleenor.
Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-March, with completion targeted in time for the first home football game this fall. “We look forward to celebrating this exciting progress with our community and providing updated, modernized facilities for our students and athletes,” said Supt. Fleenor.
“We hope to see you at the groundbreaking event as we mark this important step toward transforming our district’s infrastructure for the future,” said Supt. Fleenor.
Stadium Work, Phase 2
Supt. Fleenor said it is important to note that the stadium will be renovated in multiple phases. Phase two, scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2026 and will include renovations to the current press box and the addition of a new sound system. Phase three will include the construc-tion of a new entryway and concession on the south end of the current stadium, as well as cos-metic improvement the current entry way on the north side of the stadium.
Construction Bid Packages Explained
The work captured in this bond is broken down into bid packages. For example, the work described above is in Bid Package 1A – the very first bid package. Upcoming bid packages are out-lined below with tentative timelines.
Supt. Fleenor said the bid packages listed below are currently in various stages of design. Additional bid packages, including those for field turf, the middle school cafeteria, technology, the natatorium, and others, have not yet entered the design phase but will be developed and updated in the future.
Bid Package 1A – Stadium Inner Scope
Replace field with turf
Replace track & field
Replace inner perimeter fencing
Fall 2024 – project design
Winter 2024 – projects bidding
Spring 2025 – project construction
Bid Package 1B – Campus Traffic Flow and Parking
High School and Middle School parent carpool loop reworked
Separation of buses from carpool/community traffic
Expanded parking in front of middle and high school
Stadium press box renovations
Spring 2026 – projects bidding
Summer of 2026 – project construction
Bid Package 1C – Baseball and Softball Field Upgrades
Update irrigation system
Updated perimeter fencing
Spring 2025 – project bidding
Summer 2025 – construction
Bid Package 1D – Middle/High School Fire Alarm System Replacement
Winter 2025 – project bidding
Summer 2025 – construction
Bid Package 2A – New Construction Transportation & Maintenance Facility
Winter 2025 – Design Development
Summer 2025 – project bidding
Fall 2025 – Fall of 2026 – construction
Supt. Fleenor said the district’s focus revolves around five key objectives for the bond:
Preserve existing assets
Prioritize safety and security
Provide future-focused academic and extracurricular experiences for our students
Enhance infrastructure
Demonstrate fiscal responsibility
Safety and Security:
Addressing traffic congestion, lack of parking spaces, and separation of traffic and busing through enhancements
Replacement of outdated, unreliable security equipment at each building
Transportation:
Continued replacement of an aging bus fleet
Academic Learning Spaces + Experience:
Replacement of original, aged classroom equipment and furniture at middle and high schools
Updates to original, outdated science areas at middle and high schools (excluding the newly renovated portions) to ensure students have state of the art experiences.
Fine Arts:
Upgrades to lighting and media equipment at the high school auditorium
Infrastructure:
Replacement of original, outdated lockers, bathrooms, various ceilings, and lighting at middle and high schools
Renovations to high school weight room including expansion to address overcrowding and scheduling issues for student athletes and physical education courses
Upgrade of aged building controls at middle and high schools (water, fire, HVAC, etc.) to provide the most efficient and safe environmental controls
Addition of cooling to main gymnasiums at the high school
Student Athletic Experience:
Renovation of aged high school locker rooms
Renovation of the high school stadium, including artificial turf, new entryways, expanded concessions
New high school track – the current track is backwards and nearly unusable in the current condition
Upgrades to baseball and softball fields
Construction of a new multi-use turf field (soccer, lacrosse, football)
Maintenance of existing practice fields; addition of a new outdoor practice space
Other Construction:
Addressing overcrowding in the current Middle School cafeteria
Replacement of aged, quickly deteriorating tennis courts
Replacement of aged transportation building and maintenance building
Construction of a fieldhouse facility for indoor practice teams/band to address lack of 12-month practice space; available for community use
Construction of a student/community pool
