Crews at the Mill Valley Middle School construction site are pouring concrete footings and slabs this week, marking the first above-ground structural work on the interim campus that will house 721 students during a multi-year renovation.
The Mill Valley School District's Friday, July 24 construction update confirmed that contractor Flint Builders completed dewatering and utility installation and began excavation the week of July 20–24, with foundation work scheduled to begin the week of July 25.
What happened last week
Between Monday, July 20, and Friday, July 24, crews finished dewatering operations, excavated trenches for water and electrical utilities, backfilled trenches with clean fill, and re-routed the Friends Field irrigation control box so it remains accessible during construction.
Impacted soil was hauled to a licensed disposal facility, according to the district update.
What's happening now
The district's planned work for July 25–31 includes:
- Pouring concrete footings and slabs for the interim campus buildings
- Marking and preparing areas for lightweight concrete retaining walls, which the district says are needed to separate the site from surrounding areas and prevent flooding
- Delivering and installing new gravel in the Friends Field infield to replace material disturbed during irrigation work
- Continued excavation, with impacted soil hauled off-site
Saturday work began July 25 and will run 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. through August 15. Weekday hours remain 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with noisier work limited to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Between five and eight trucks enter and exit the site three times daily.
Air quality and skate park closure
Air monitoring during the week of July 20–24 showed methane, volatile organic compounds, and dust levels below action thresholds set in the Community Air Monitoring Plan. A 15-minute VOC exceedance recorded Wednesday, July 22, between 3:15 and 3:29 p.m. fell outside work hours and was not attributed to on-site construction, the district reported.
That follows a dust exceedance the week of July 13–17 that prompted the contractor to reduce vehicle speeds and increase soil wetting.
The Harrison Skate Park remains closed through Monday, August 31. Access between Friends Field and Sycamore Avenue is shut for the duration of the project.
Bigger picture
The interim campus, located in the school's staff parking area at 425 Sycamore Ave., is part of the $194 million Measure G bond program voters approved in 2022 with 68% support. Eighty-four cents of every bond dollar is directed to the middle school, according to the district's facilities dashboard.
Flint Builders broke ground June 19 under a $20 million construction contract. Twenty-nine portable buildings are expected to arrive in late September, with the interim campus opening to students in late January 2027. The main renovation is scheduled to begin in late March or early April 2027, with completion targeted for January 2029.
"Reaching this milestone fulfills a promise to the voters and community who support public education," board president Natalie Katz said in a June 30 Mill Valley Briefing article marking the groundbreaking.
Residents with questions can contact the district at (888) 889-MVMS or [email protected]. The next major milestone is the arrival of 29 portable buildings in late September.
