• Birkett Freshman Center

    Project Summary

    Total Project Budget: $21.7 Million
    Referendum Funds: $20.0 Million
    Contracted to Date: $0.0 Million

    The Birkett Center opened in 1997 with multiple additions constructed in 2003. The facility originally served as a middle school, before transitioning to being the Neuqua Valley freshman campus in 2003. Planned improvements to the main campus of Neuqua will allow all students to attend the main campus beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. With this change, the Birkett facility will once again transition to serving a new purpose, and is reimagined as a district community center. Beginning in 2027, the Birkett center will host a variety of district-wide programming, including:

    1. The STEPS transition program

    2. The Gail McKinzie credit recovery program

    3. The District’s Pathways program, offering capstone experiences for a variety of career-oriented programs

    4. STEM and SAM labs to support K-8 STEM education

    5. District-wide robotics programming

    6. District-wide professional development, meeting and gathering spaces

    7. A “Welcome Center” to serve as a community hub for the district’s community support and social service initiatives

    To enable the new programming, capital improvements will be made to the Birkett center starting in 2026, including:

    1. Secure vestibule at the front of the building for checking in all visitors and enhancing security, and additional secure entrance for the STEPS and Gail McKinzie programs

    2. Exterior door replacements and the increased use of electronic access controls 

    3. Mechanical upgrades and system replacements throughout the building

    4. Redesign of classroom spaces to support specific needs of the STEPS program, including PAES lab, maker spaces, a life skills apartment, and micro-business areas

    5. Renovation of existing foods lab, technology and engineering spaces to support the Pathways program

    6.  Building-wide LED lighting, furniture and classroom technology upgrades

    7. Renovation of gathering spaces to increase flexibility to support district-wide professional development and other large group programming


    Budget Dashboard

    Coming July 2025


    Photo Gallery

    Coming soon!