Fayette County Public Schools to approve $58.4 million contract for new RISE STEM Academy

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) Board is slated to approve a $58.4 million contract on Thursday for the construction of the new RISE STEM Academy for Girls, a significant investment in the district’s educational infrastructure. The project, set to begin in September 2024, will result in a state-of-the-art facility located at 2160 Versailles Road, with a planned completion by July 2026.

D.W. Wilburn, Inc., a Lexington-based construction firm, secured the contract after submitting the only qualifying bid. The other two bids from Marrillia Construction and Calhoun Construction were disqualified and not opened due to their failure to meet the district’s Minority, Women, Veteran Business Enterprise (MWVBE) Good Faith Efforts requirement​.

The total project cost, including construction and associated fees, is $58,460,689.35. The school is designed to serve 900 students in a 118,839-square-foot building, offering specialized education focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The project has not been without controversy. The land for the new academy was purchased from Dudley Webb, a prominent real estate investor, for $10.1 million. This transaction drew criticism at the time due to the property being tax-assessed at only $2.8 million by the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA). Critics have raised concerns about the significant discrepancy between the purchase price and the tax assessment, questioning the fiscal responsibility of the deal.

FCPS says the new academy, listed as a top priority in FCPS’s 2021 District Facility Plan, represents a major step forward in providing targeted educational opportunities for girls in the district, aligning with broader efforts to enhance student achievement and organizational efficiency.