Valdez asks residents to help shape 2028 high school renovation before Nov. 17 design preview

The City of Valdez and Valdez City Schools are asking residents to help shape the renovation of Valdez High School planned for 2028. They are collecting feedback through a three-question online survey and will show preliminary design concepts at a City Council work session Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 5:30 pm.

In a post Tuesday, the city listed ideas for the renovation: expanded recreation, more community space, enhanced learning environments, energy-efficient improvements and new ideas from residents. "Help us create a school that meets the community and educational needs of future generations," the city said.

The district's six-year capital improvement plan, included in the Valdez City Schools Board of Education agenda for Aug. 10, estimates the remodel at $50 million. The plan cites a leaky roof, faulty windows and doors, uninsulated walls, an inadequate heating and ventilation system and a lack of proper ventilation in the shop space. It also lists outdated classrooms and electrical systems that cannot support modern technology.

The city sought design firms in a request for qualifications issued Feb. 26. It required community outreach, presentations to the school board and its committees, education specifications and rough cost estimates for possible uses of existing space.

On July 21, the council approved a contract of about $824,000 with Wolf Architecture to take the design to 35% and produce a cost estimate at that stage. The firm's fee proposal says later design, permitting and construction administration will follow.

Wolf Architecture and NAC Architecture were introduced as the remodel team at the Aug. 10 school board meeting. The agenda for that meeting says the design is scheduled to reach 35% completion by Dec. 7.

Residents can take the survey now. The city's post listed no closing date. The Nov. 17 work session will cover what the city and district have learned so far.