City staff told the School Board Monday that two architecture firms are working on preliminary planning for renovations at Providence and Daniels Run elementary schools and outlined a multi-phase schedule and public-engagement plan tied to bond funding.

The staff presentation said both firms are experienced with FCPS projects and recommended three decision-making teams for each school: an integrated design/owner review team, a steering committee for strategic direction, and a public team for community input. Staff recommended the board recruit members for those teams and present names by late December or early January.

The firms shared similar milestone projections: roughly 28 months for design, 10 months for permitting and bidding, and approximately 32 months for construction. One narrative in the meeting suggested a notice to proceed for construction in May 2028, substantial completion in mid-2030 and school opening in September 2030, if funding and permitting proceed on schedule. "We have funding to get us through '26," a staff presenter said, stressing that any work after June 2026 is contingent on securing additional funds from City Council.

Staff said initial activities will include building walkthroughs, environmental and facilities data gathering, and targeted listening sessions: staff meetings in November and early online community meetings to maximize participation. The architects plan 3-D scans and condition assessments; staff said they already completed a Providence walkthrough with a multi-disciplinary team.

Board members and staff discussed project-management needs. Staff recommended hiring a third-party project manager (a consultant) to coordinate daily construction oversight, permitting and quality control and said a 3% project-management allowance is included in the project budget as a built-in line item. "We built in a 3% cost into the budget that's already included as a line item to have a project manager," staff said.

Staff further recommended considering temporary increases in city-level staffing during planning and early implementation — for example, a full-time superintendent or assistant, and a full-time communications person — to manage outreach, coordination and to limit misinformation during the process. The board discussed whether to hire a consultant project manager rather than add full-time positions.

Staff said some FCPS units that will maintain systems after construction raised questions about maintenance responsibility; staff said they are working with FCPS to clarify long-term maintenance obligations so that systems installed now will be maintained in future years.