Kicking off the project includes an update to the Franklin Field at Franklin Elementary. While an exact start date has yet to be determined, it is estimated work will begin sometime this spring or summer. As the design is underway, the notice for bidders for Franklin Field will go out on Feb. 18.

For Miller Middle School, Superintendent Theron Schutte said they are at the beginning of space programming, which determines the number, size and type of spaces.

“There have been a number of meetings, tours, etc. with our architect firm, construction management firm and their engineers,” he said.

Schutte believes the design for the school will be finished sometime this summer. Work is expected to begin in either the spring or summer of 2026.

A rendering of improvements to the historic auditorium is shown. Voters approved the bond issue with a decisive 68 percent in support last November, and the nearly century-old building (along with Franklin Field and audio-visual equipment across all of the district’s elementary buildings) will benefit from over $100 million in improvements as a result.

“Best case scenario that has been shared publicly via Boyd-Jones and Invision is for bids to be let around Thanksgiving 2025,” he said.

When the school district was running the Reimagine Miller campaign before the November election, they offered voters and Marshalltown residents Wednesday tours of the building so people could get a better understanding of the problems. While the district is no longer offering scheduled tours, residents can still view the issues if they want.

“I’m sure that the Miller Middle School would happily provide a tour if people request,” Schutte said. “It would need to be outside of school hours in order to not disrupt the educational environment, I’d suspect.”

The Reimagine Miller project will address the issues the facility is dealing with, leaving 80 percent new or like new. Some of the issues include:

• Lack of space;

• Needed updates in the media center, kitchen and bathroom entries and exits;

• Inadequate heating and cooling;

• Need to update aesthetics;

• Gym, wrestling area and locker room renovation;

• Constant standing water and moisture in the lower level.

The intention of the district, Boyd-Jones and Invision is to keep the historic auditorium and resurrect the community-loved space, bringing back the “splendor, luster and ambience” of when it was originally built.