Three major building projects in the Iowa City School District are on track and on budget, school officials said on Tuesday.

The design of North High School and design development plans for South Elementary and the West High turf field were discussed in detail.

David Dude, the district’s chief operating officer, said an architect was hired to create a design for North High.

The hiring decision was made with the help of a group of parents, students, and staff, which made recommendations to an executive cabinet.

The contract, Dude said, is “momentous” — it is the biggest construction project the district will do in almost a decade.

The architect will now meet with the design committee to discuss the layout of the building.

The project will cost $58.9 million.

The School Board approved the design development plans for both South Elementary and the field turf at West High.

A committee will meet today to discuss design documents in detail for the elementary school in order to prepare for the next step.

For both the field and the elementary school, this next step means getting ready for bidding out the project to contractors.

The South Elementary project will cost $14.500 million, and the West High field turf will cost $1.25 million.

— by Lily Abromeit