Construction officially moved forward this week on a new addition to the Woodlawn School cafeteria following a groundbreaking ceremony held Thursday evening with members of the Woodlawn School Board and district officials.
Brody Richardson and Chris Young of Brody Richardson Construction of Sheridan, the project’s construction manager, joined Woodlawn Superintendent Dr. Kevin Handcock, school board members and architect David Porter during the ceremony.
The board approved a bid from Brody Richardson Construction in February totaling $1,232,633 for a 2,754-square-foot expansion to be built on the south side of the cafeteria facing the physical education building.
The project will provide additional dining space and include a second hot food serving line, along with kitchen renovations designed to expand storage capacity and add two additional refrigerated coolers.
According to Richardson, weather permitting, construction could be completed by winter, with students potentially able to begin using the expanded cafeteria during the Spring 2027 semester.
Handcock previously told board members that the larger dining area would allow the district to reduce lunch schedules from four periods to two — one serving elementary students and another for high school students. Under the current schedule, the first lunch period begins at 11 a.m. and the final period starts at 1:15 p.m.
District officials waited until the school year ended last Friday before beginning work on the project. Initial construction efforts will focus on installing a temporary wall inside the cafeteria to separate the active construction area. The wall is expected to be in place before students return in August.
Funding for the cafeteria addition includes approximately $395,000 in state partnership funding as well as revenue generated through the 2-mill tax increase approved by voters last year.
Handcock also said work is expected to begin soon on new playground equipment for the elementary campus.
In April, the board accepted a low bid of $178,313.66 from Happy Playgrounds for the project. Handcock previously told the board that existing playground equipment had become outdated and required repairs that raised safety concerns.
While some existing equipment will be refurbished and remain in use, upgrades will also include a new turf-style surface intended to improve drainage and allow the playground to reopen more quickly following inclement weather.
