Time line set for USD 234 projects

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Action is set to get started this summer on construction for projects in the approved $40.8 million USD 234 school bond package.

USD 234 Superintendent Bob Beckham told the USD 234 Board of Education during its Monday meeting that district-level and building-level teams have been formed and plan to meet weekly throughout the upcoming construction process. He said meeting dates for planning and design have been set for administrative and building committees to "sit down and look at everything at a district level."

"Teams will be helping with the design phase so we can see what the projects will look like," he said.

Beckham said project work is tentatively scheduled to begin at Fort Scott High School and the football stadium in early June. The work will include demolition of the Juco wing at the high school, which is the three-story structure that is part of the facility, as well as installation of new lights, artificial turf and a new track at the stadium.

"We'll be harvesting furniture and then in late June, early July we'll see the wrecking ball," Beckham said.

Beckham also said the plan is to address mechanical systems in the high school and install new HVAC units this summer, with the goal of having new systems in place by the time the new school year starts in August. A complete re-wiring for all tech needs is also planned for June.

Asbestos clean up and removal of all useable furniture in the high school are expected to be the first projects addressed following conclusion of the current school year.

"The first projects will be to get all property out of the Juco wing; personal property and district property," he said. "Hopefully by June 1 we'll get to asbestos removal, taking windows out, and by the end of June demolish it."

As far as a time line for the football field, Beckham said the planned sequence of work starting this spring and going through the summer is to first install lights, then the turf, and finally the track. Beckham said the plan is to start foundations for the high-wind shelters at the high school and middle school, as well as for the auxiliary gym at the high school, in the fall and classroom remodels summer 2016. The remodel of the high school auditorium is tentatively planned to begin in December.

Beckham said there are "ongoing discussions" about where to locate displaced teachers as of June 1, when construction work is scheduled to begin, as well as students who would be affected once the school year starts, but there are no concrete plans.

The plan is to try to get a majority of the work done at all school sites over the next couple of summers with a plan to have all bond projects completed by the start of the 2017-18 school year. Both elementary schools and the middle school also have a list of projects to be addressed.

"The goal is (to work) this summer, next school year and next summer," he said. "We would get back into the new space next school year (by 2016)."

According to information provided by Beckham, the district-level team will include building principals, district tech personnel, building tech coordinators, district maintenance personnel, selected board members, as well as Beckham and USD 234 Business Manager Susan Brown. That team plans to meet Feb. 10 and Feb. 17.

The building level team will include building principals, building tech coordinators, two to three staff members, as well as Beckham and Brown. That team plans to meet Feb. 24 at Eugene Ware and Winfield Scott and March 3 at Fort Scott Middle School and the FSHS.