WATERVILLE — Hard-hat wearing workers walked among cranes, bulldozers, dump trucks, piles of dirt and asphalt adorning the torn-up surface and a large blue tarp hung over the front entrance.
It sure didn’t appear on Tuesday like Waterville Senior High School will be ready to receive students in less than two weeks.
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But appearances can be deceiving, school officials said. The massive renovation project is running on schedule and the first day of school is still set for Aug. 29.
“We knew it was an extremely tight schedule going in,” said Jim Reny, facilities director for the schools. “But we’ve been very fortunate with the contractor and subcontractors on this project. The work is on schedule.”
The comments came during a Board of Education meeting Monday night. Several school administrators and board members said they had been hearing from parents who were asking whether the high school renovation would done before school starts.
If the project were not finished in time, the start of school could be delayed or portable classrooms would need to be brought in, said Superintendent Eric Haley. But neither of those options is being considered because school officials expect that enough of the project will be finished when students return, Haley said.
The school site has been buzzing with nearly 100 workers each day, amounting to an aggressive attempt to fit five months’ worth of construction work into two months, Haley said.
Even so, Haley and Reny cautioned that some project work will continue even after classes start.
“There will be some inconvenience for people,” Haley said. “But we will have functional space.”
For instance, student lockers may not be ready by the start of school, Haley said.
This week, Reny said classroom furniture is being delivered and new pavement will be laid on the parking areas.
The $6.5 million renovation work began right after school ended in June, focusing mainly on improvements to classrooms and other academic areas. It’s considered the third phase of a five-phase project.
Much of the work has focused on the first and second floors of the high school’s east wings, according to Reny, involving electrical and mechanical work, new windows, curtains, walls, floors and ceilings, as well as replacement student lockers, and new technology.
In addition, the project involves construction of a new two-story main entrance and new re-configured parking lots out front.
The project is funded through a federal Qualified School Construction Bond. Work during the two previous summer has included reconfigured classrooms in the high school and adjoining Mid-Maine Technical Center, a new library media center and four science classroom labs.
The final phases of the project are planned in the coming years to involve renovations to the cafeteria, auditorium, and office area, as well as upgrades to athletic areas. All told, school officials estimate all five project phases will cost between $15 million and $17 million.
Scott Monroe — 861-9239
smonroe@centralmaine.com
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