This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Construction Expected to Finish Before School Starts

Roofs, classroom renovations and parking lots slated to be ready for start of new school year.

Much of the school construction work in Chatham is slated to be finished just in time for the new school year.

During the regular Board of Education meeting Monday night, Business Administrator Peter Daquila gave an overview of the various construction projects going on at the schools, including:

  • The parking lot at the high school. The contractor has begun excavation, has installed the new curbing and has installed the collection basin for drainage water. Daquila said barring any unforeseen weather problems, the lot will be open by Sept. 10.
  • The new addition to the high school will be finished by the end of December and ready for student occupancy in January. Daquila said previous issues with the project engineer over some of the design have been fixed, and an additional catch basin will need to be installed.
  • Classroom conversion at the middle school is a bit behind schedule, he said, but the contractor is working longer days and Saturdays to ensure it is finished by the end of August.
  • Roof work on Lafayette School, Southern Boulevard School and Washington Avenue school are nearly complete, and Daquila said the contractor will have all his equipment out of the district by Aug. 31.
  • The conversion of offices to classroom space at the high school is nearly complete and will be ready for the opening of school.

In other business:

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • The board welcomed Interim Superintendent Dennis Fyffe to his first board meeting. Fyffe, who took over the position on July 5, said his time as superintendent got off to a positive and productive start, and he has appreciated the support of all his colleagues.
  • Debra Becker, human resources director, reported that the district is in good shape, staffing-wise, for the new school year. Part-time vacancies have come up in nursing and maintenance, but the district has a pool of applicants from which to choose.
  • The board approved Kinder Cubs, a program to be held at the high school in which morning kindergarten students are eligible to participate in an afternoon educational program at a cost of $50 per semester.
  • The board accepted a contribution from the Chatham Athletic Association Booster Club to renovate the snack shack at Cougar Field at the estimated cost of $2,500, subject to the contractor providing appropriate documentation of insurance.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?