Forest Park High School to break ground on major renovation project

Forest Park Jr./Sr. High School will break ground May 15 on the first phase of a major renovation that school officials have said is part of about $45 million in improvements for the Ferdinand campus and other Southeast Dubois County schools.

The ceremony is set for 9 a.m. at 1440 Michigan Street, and students from across the district are expected to join school leaders for remarks marking the start of construction. Dr. Jamie Pund is listed as the contact for more information, underscoring that the district wants the event to be open to families, staff and local residents watching the project move from planning to visible work.

The groundwork for the project has been building for more than a year. At a May 7, 2025 work session, district officials reviewed facility assessments, preliminary conceptual plans for Forest Park and Ferdinand Elementary, and budget information as part of a long-term master facilities plan. Gibraltar Design and The Stenftenagel Group took part in those discussions with Superintendent Dr. Jamie Pund and Forest Park student advisory members.

The Forest Park portion of the plan has centered on a new entrance, several classrooms, a new kitchen and cafeteria, and a junior high gym. At the Feb. 11, 2026 school board meeting, Gibraltar Design presented interior renderings for Family and Consumer Science space, art rooms, Senior Quad rooms and a proposed cafeteria, while district officials said the project would go out to bid in March and a contractor would be awarded at the April board meeting.

That sequence matters for taxpayers and parents because it turns a long-promised facilities plan into a schedule the public can watch. The ceremony on May 15 is only the beginning; the real test will be whether the construction delivers the space and layout students need once the work is finished.

Forest Park Jr./Sr. High serves grades 7 through 12 and already highlights STEM and career-technical offerings, including Project Lead the Way. Principal Matt Thompson and Junior High Principal Ryan Haas lead the campus, where the renovation is intended to support both daily student life and the school’s broader academic program.