(File Photo) Wood County Board of Education member Judy Johnson and Superintendent Christie Willis look at computer renderings from Pickering Associates in November of what the new additions and renovations for Madison Elementary could look like.

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Board of Education will vote Tuesday night to award GraeCon Construction with the $6.7 million bid for the Madison Elementary renovations.

The expansion is designed to bring 150 additional students to Madison Elementary after the closure of Criss Elementary at the start of the next school year.

Pickering Associates CEO and President Ryan Taylor and Sean Cottrill, assistant director of education design, told the board in November renovations will increase the school’s size from 32,000 to approximately 42,000 square feet, while modernizing facilities to better serve current and future students. Taylor said although the school is increasing in size this doesn’t mean the property line is going to move.

The pair said renovations include rearrangement of classrooms and floor plan updates to meet ADA guidelines and to make the layout of classes more streamlined, replacement of 115 windows and a new cafeteria and kitchen to house the additional students.

“We’re needing roughly 2,000 square feet for a new cafeteria… We’re adding the kitchen and cafeteria to the project, and then renovating the existing kitchen and cafeteria into classrooms,” Cottrill said. “The existing music classroom is in a portable behind the building, so there will be a dedicated music room inside of the facility. And the portable will be removed with this project.”

The pair said in November special attention is also being paid to improving vehicle and bus access to the campus with plans to incorporate an expanded “horseshoe” entrance from Dudley Avenue, a turn-only lane off Dudley and a dedicated entrance and exit for younger students. Taylor said the project is expected to be completed by May 2027 and would not interfere with instructional time for students.

The board will also recognize Jeffrey Treadway, a teacher at Jefferson Elementary who represented Wood County Schools in the 137th Rosebowl Parade in Pasadena. Treadway was one of four from West Virginia selected to perform with the Saluting America’s Band Directors Band, which included 329 marchers from across the United States.

The board will also hear updates from the Student Advisory Council, a work-based learning update by Jason Hughes, director of Wood County Technical Center and Caperton Campus, a high school and Wood County Technical Center audit report by Kaylee Litman, director of finance, and a bond update from Assistant Superintendent of Operations Kaleb Lawrence.

The meeting will take place at the board offices located at 13th and Plum streets in Parkersburg and will begin at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed online.