School District officials say that the construction projects started over the summer are nearing completion, and they don’t expect any classes to be delayed or disrupted by their completion.
According to Larry Shanok, Phase One of the districts $27.5 million initiative to improve its schools is nearing completion, clearing the way for the start of the 2006-’07 school year, and for the start of Phase Two.
Shanok says at this point, the only part of phase one that was scheduled for the start of the year that won’t be completed is the addition of partitions in the open space classrooms in High School South. “We’ll start that as soon as we find the right materials,” said Shanok.
Shanok said the right partitions haven’t been found because most companies’ wall-creating products that can be assembled quickly and that fit the project’s budget, do not match the school district’s standards. “The problems tend to be that the ones that are good acoustically don’t meet our criteria for stability. Some that seem impressive stability wise, don’t do much for acoustics. Apparently you can have one, but not the other. As soon as we find the right walls, we’ll put them up,” says Shanok.
Shanok said the delay could end after the school year begins. He said classes in the affected areas will be taught as scheduled, without walls, as they have been in those sites since the school opened. The walls will likely be put up during the school year.
One thing that has changed is the front of Dutch Neck School. There previously had been no sidewalk near the curb in front of the school. This summer, a sidewalk was installed, and Shanok says that addition will be most helpful in the winter months, when parents previously had a difficult time dropping their children off at the school while snow was piled near the curb.
The largest part of phase one improvements includes work inside three elementary schools: Dutch Neck, Maurice Hawk, and Wicoff Schools all had duct work done in addition to electrical work. Other upgrades at the schools included new flooring, and new panels on walls where needed.
All three of those schools as well as Community Middle School are having the roof repaired. The front drive and parking lot in front of Maurice Hawk School has been re-paved. More teacher parking and additional lighting have been added to the parking lot at Wicoff Elementary.
The district has replaced some of the worn carpeting, notably near the entrance of High School North, and in the media center at Hawk.
Shanok says everything is on time up to this point. “The trouble is, you always get down to the last two weeks, and the principals want it done, and the contractors say didn’t have enough time from the beginning,” says Shanok.
Phase two is scheduled to start in October. The project will include additions to Dutch Neck Elementary School and HVAC upgrades for Maurice Hawk Elementary School. High School North will undergo classroom renovations, including the creation of a new science classroom and preparation room.
Phase three will involve only High School South. In March, 2007, the school district plans to begin renovations on music and art spaces, the auxiliary gymnasium, pool bubble, and boys’ locker room. The project will also include the installation of a new elevator. That project is scheduled to be finished by September of 2009.
Phase four is also scheduled to start in May, 2007. Both High School North and South will have a synthetic turf field installed. High School South will also get a new track. This project is expected to be finished by the start of the fall athletic season in 2007.
