Update on Thunder Vista repairs and timeline

Dear Thunder Vista families and staff,

We’re approaching three months since the crawl space fire on Dec. 27, and I’m happy to share that we’ve made substantial progress over the last month. This work remains a top priority, and our teams are focused on maintaining momentum in the months ahead.

Project Status and Timeline

Our teams continue to make steady progress on repairs at your school. Based on the current construction schedule, we remain on track to reach substantial completion in mid-June and have students return for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

In construction, substantial completion is a milestone reached when the project is ready for occupants to return to the building. While some work may remain, these are minor items that may include paint touch-ups and additional cosmetic repairs. 

This timing provides a roughly 30-day buffer before administrators and office staff are scheduled to return to the building for the start of the 2026-27 school year. This time will allow us to complete any remaining tasks and ensure the building is fully ready for students and staff.

We’ve published an updated timeline to Thunder Vista’s website to help visualize work completed to date, as well as what remains over the next two months.

Progress at Thunder Vista

Although the vast majority of this work is taking place inside and under the building and may not be visible from outside the school, our teams have made meaningful progress since January. Crews continue to address underground utilities, electrical systems and crawl space infrastructure while coordinating closely with contractors, environmental specialists and inspectors.

As I’ve shared in our previous update, crews are manually excavating dirt to dig out a crawl space under the school. Once complete, this crawl space will help protect the building from the area’s shifting soils.

To help visualize progress, I encourage you to review the graphics linked on our website, which show excavation work to date. These graphics highlight the progress our crews have made in each wing of the building. The majority of remaining work is in the east wing of our building. That work is scheduled to be completed by early June.

We’ve also published annotated images that illustrate the work taking place in our crawl space. 

Indoor Air Quality Testing

Following the fire, an independent environmental consulting firm collected air and surface samples across the building on multiple dates in January and February. The results found that airborne particulate levels, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other monitored compounds were all within normal ranges. The IAQ report is available for review online.

The report also showed that air quality is consistent with normal conditions and isn’t expected to cause irritation or illness. The consultant concluded that the building can be safely reoccupied once construction activities are completed and building systems are fully restored. 

As an added precaution, we will conduct a final air quality check this summer once the HVAC system is fully operational and construction has concluded.

Long-Term Radon Study

Families may recall that a short-term radon screening conducted in March 2025 identified several rooms where adjusted readings were near or slightly above the EPA’s recommended action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). These radon levels warranted further analysis but posed no immediate health hazards to the school community.

After completing the short-term study, the district initiated a long-term radon sampling study, which provides a more reliable measure of radon levels over time. I’m pleased to report that the long-term results show no cause for concern.

Out of a total of 12 samples collected throughout the building, all were below the action level. As with previous reports, the radon report is available for review on our website. Once excavation work is completed in Thunder Vista’s crawl space, we also plan to install a radon mitigation system. 

You can expect another update from me next month. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. 

If progress on repairs changes substantially, we will communicate that promptly. We remain committed to keeping you informed and will continue to share regular updates.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we continue work to prepare Thunder Vista for students and staff.

Respectfully, 

Molly Brandt
Chief Operating Officer