Hastings Bond Update - May 5/7

May 7, 2025

Dear Hastings Families and Staff:

This is the Bond!

Last night, the BOE was presented with the full color and detailed renderings of the refashioned instructional and cafeteria spaces, as well as the athletic fields.

Please take time to review the narrative in the presentation and especially the renderings:

• Bond Update -- May 6, 2025

Very important: the renderings clarify several points of misinformation circulating about the Bond.

First, by relocating the cafeteria, we gain at least six classrooms and instructional spaces in the location of the current cafeteria.

Second, the new cafeteria efficiently connects the high school and middle school, blending smoothly into a corner of the courtyard. The cafeteria is single story (with two story height), allowing for access from the first and second floors of the main buildings. With brilliant efficiency, two of the four walls are existing, with the two new walls glazed to provide necessary natural light for the cafeteria and the adjacent rooms. Glazing is not more expensive.

Third, the new entrance way has been modified to be modest in design and provides FMS and HHS a single, safe, secure and ADA compliant accessible entrance. Not shown here, but following with another rendering, is that the new entrance provides easy access to the new classrooms and cafeteria.

Fourth, the athletic fields are designed to provide a blend of adjacent natural turf (2) and artificial turf (2) fields at Burke. In total, two of Hastings seven athletic fields will be artificial turf.

We will be adding to these renderings and posting them in multiple ways. Stay tuned for additional communication to correct the misinformation circulating about what is included in the Bond. Simply put, people are incorrectly pointing to aspects of the Five Year Master Plan as the Bond scope of work. In order to optimize resources, the BOE approved a narrow scope of work for the Bond, which is drawn from the larger Five Year Master Plan. As we head towards the June 17th vote, we will be clarifying the differences so there is a clear understanding of what is included in the Bond.