Case Study: Multi-Phase Paving Project for Oregon School District

The Challenge: Three Schools, One Summer, Fixed Budget

An Oregon school district along the I-5 corridor contacted Cojo Excavation and Asphalt about deteriorating parking lots and drop-off areas at three of their schools. Years of deferred maintenance had created safety concerns for students, staff, and parents, and the district was facing ADA compliance issues at all three locations.

The constraints were significant:

• All work had to be completed during summer break (approximately 10 weeks)
• Fixed budget approved by the school board, with no room for overruns
• Summer programs at two of the three schools needed uninterrupted parking and access
• ADA compliance was required at all three sites
• Bus loop safety was a top priority at the elementary school

Site Assessments

We assessed all three sites in March to develop a comprehensive scope and phasing plan:

Elementary School (Site A)

• Staff parking lot: 45 spaces, 18 years old, extensive alligator cracking in the bus loop and parent drop-off area
• Parent drop-off lane: Severe deterioration from bus and vehicle traffic on pavement designed for passenger cars only
• ADA issues: 1 accessible space where 2 were required, existing space exceeded slope limits
• Drainage: Standing water at the bus loop curb return after every rain

Middle School (Site B)

• Main parking lot: 80 spaces, 15 years old, moderate cracking and 6 potholes
• Basketball courts: Asphalt surface cracked and uneven (out of scope for this project but noted)
• ADA issues: 3 accessible spaces where 4 were required, signage non-compliant
• Drainage: Adequate but catch basins needed cleaning

High School (Site C)

• Student/staff parking lot: 200 spaces, 12 years old, moderate surface oxidation and cracking
• Bus staging area: Heavy wear from daily bus operations, localized base failures
• ADA issues: 7 accessible spaces present (correct count), but 3 had slope violations
• Drainage: One persistent low spot in the student lot causing regular ponding

The Solution: Prioritized Three-Site Plan

We developed a phased plan that addressed the most critical safety issues first and fit within the district's approved budget.

Site A: Elementary School (Weeks 1-4)

The elementary school received the most extensive work because the bus loop and drop-off area posed direct safety risks to students:

Bus Loop and Drop-Off (Full Replacement):

• Removed existing asphalt and failed base in the bus loop and parent drop-off lane (8,500 sq ft)
• Installed geotextile fabric over the clay subgrade
• Placed 10 inches of crushed rock base (increased from the original 6 inches to handle bus loads)
• Paved with 4 inches of heavy-duty asphalt in two lifts
• Installed new curbing with proper curb returns for bus turning movements
• Added two new catch basins to eliminate standing water at the curb return

Staff Parking Lot (Mill and Overlay):

• Milled 2 inches of deteriorated surface
• Repaired 4 areas of base failure with full-depth patches
• Applied 2-inch overlay across the entire 13,500 sq ft lot
• Installed 2 ADA-compliant accessible spaces with proper slopes, signage, and access aisles

Drop-Off Safety Improvements:

• Painted crosswalk markings at all pedestrian crossing points
• Installed speed bump at the lot entrance with advance warning marking
• Applied thermoplastic markings for all regulatory zones (fire lane, no parking, bus only)

Site B: Middle School (Weeks 4-6)

The middle school needed targeted repairs rather than full reconstruction:

• Patched all 6 potholes with hot-mix asphalt (full-depth repair for base failures)
• Crack sealed the entire lot (approximately 3,500 linear feet)
• Applied two coats of sealcoat across all 24,000 sq ft
• Added the required 4th accessible space with proper grading
• Replaced all ADA signage with Oregon-compliant signs
• Restriped the entire lot with traffic paint
• Cleaned all catch basins and cleared inlet grates

Site C: High School (Weeks 5-8)

The high school required a mix of repair and preventive maintenance:

Bus Staging Area (Targeted Replacement):

• Removed and replaced 3,200 sq ft of failed pavement in the bus staging area
• Upgraded the section with thicker base (10 inches) and heavy-duty asphalt (4 inches)
• Applied thermoplastic markings for bus lane delineation

Student/Staff Lot (Maintenance and Repair):

• Regraded the low spot causing ponding by milling and overlaying a 4,000 sq ft area with corrective grades
• Crack sealed the entire lot
• Applied two coats of sealcoat across all 60,000 sq ft
• Regraded 3 accessible spaces to achieve ADA-compliant slopes
• Restriped the entire lot

Project Summary

| Item | Site A (Elementary) | Site B (Middle) | Site C (High School) | |------|-------------------|----------------|---------------------| | Primary scope | Full replacement (bus loop) + overlay (lot) | Sealcoat + repairs | Targeted replacement + sealcoat | | Area | 22,000 sq ft | 24,000 sq ft | 63,200 sq ft | | Construction days | 14 | 6 | 12 | | ADA corrections | Added 1 space, fixed slopes | Added 1 space, replaced signage | Fixed 3 space slopes | | Drainage work | 2 new catch basins | Catch basin cleaning | Regrading for ponding |

Total project duration: 8 weeks of active construction across 3 sites Summer programs: Maintained access at Sites B and C throughout construction Budget: Completed within the school board's approved allocation

Challenges and Solutions

Working Around Summer Programs

Sites B and C hosted summer academic programs with 50-100 students daily. We managed this by:

• Scheduling heavy equipment operations before 7:30 AM and after 3:30 PM to avoid student arrival and dismissal
• Maintaining a completely separate, barricaded parking area for summer program participants at all times
• Posting a dedicated flagger whenever construction vehicles crossed pedestrian routes
• Coordinating daily with the summer program director on the schedule for the following day

Budget Management

The district had a fixed budget with no contingency for unexpected conditions. We managed budget risk by:

• Completing the most expensive site (Elementary) first, confirming actual costs against estimates
• Identifying value engineering opportunities at Sites B and C once Site A costs were confirmed
• Providing weekly cost reports to the district facilities manager
• Flagging any potential change orders immediately with cost impact before proceeding

Weather

Two rain events during the project required schedule adjustments. Our contingency planning had allocated extra days in the schedule specifically for Oregon summer weather. Both delays were absorbed without affecting the completion date.

Results

The completed project delivered:

• Safe bus loops and drop-off areas designed for the actual vehicle loads they receive
• Full ADA compliance at all three sites with properly graded spaces, compliant signage, and accessible routes
• Eliminated standing water at the elementary school bus loop and high school student lot
• Extended pavement life by 8-12 years at the middle and high school through sealcoating
• 20+ year expected service life for new construction at the elementary school
• Completed before school start with 2 weeks to spare

The district facilities manager reported zero safety complaints related to parking lot conditions in the following school year, compared to 14 complaints the previous year.

Lessons for School Districts Planning Paving Work

1. Assess all sites together. A district-wide assessment helps prioritize limited budgets toward the sites with the greatest safety risks and compliance issues.
2. Plan in the fall for summer construction. Contractor schedules fill quickly for the summer paving season. Starting the planning process in September or October gives you time for board approval, bidding, and scheduling.
3. Design for actual loads. School bus loops need heavier pavement sections than standard parking areas. Building them to passenger-car specifications guarantees premature failure.
4. Coordinate with summer programs. Summer school, camps, and maintenance operations create constraints that must be planned around, not discovered during construction.
5. Budget for ADA. Standards apply regardless of budget constraints. Including ADA corrections in every paving project keeps the district compliant incrementally rather than facing a large compliance project.

Planning a School District Paving Project?

Cojo Excavation and Asphalt works with school districts across Oregon's I-5 corridor to plan and execute paving projects that fit within public budgets and summer timelines. We understand the unique requirements of school facilities and coordinate closely with district staff throughout every project.

Call 541-409-9848 or request a project consultation.