Construction continues as Mission students head back to school
Issue Date: 8/5/2010
Last Updated: 1/6/2014 4:43:12 PM |
By
Melea Burke
ST. IGNATIUS — With only three weeks to go before school starts Aug. 26, construction workers are putting the pedal to the metal to finish the St. Ignatius School’s new lunchroom, among other projects.
Aug. 20 was the scheduled completion date for the elementary school renovation, including a new multi-purpose room — which will serve as the new lunchroom — three new classrooms and a remodeled kitchen, but it’s going to require a serious push to have the space ready for dozens of students by Aug. 26. Part of the roof is still open, and all the inside finishing work remains to be done.
“It’s really ‘all hands on deck’ to make it happen. They believe that they’ll get it done by (Aug. 26),” Superintendent Bob Lewandowski said. “They won’t get it done by the 20th.”
The school district administration is planning how to best navigate through construction as school starts, and “with limited spaces, it certainly makes it challenging,” Lewandowski said.
Parents and students can expect the final phases of elementary school construction to be ongoing until possibly mid-September, Lewandowski said, but he believes the improved facility will be worth the wait.
“There’s some exciting things going on here,” he said. “It’s really neat.”
The old elementary school gym doubled as a lunchroom for the entire school, which meant elementary students started lunch as early as 10:30 a.m.
“That’s prime educational time,” Lewandowski noted.
With the new facility, the elementary school schedule will have added flexibility, making life easier for teachers and class time more fulfilling for students.
“It really will make a difference,” Lewandowski said.
Visitors to Mission High School have probably already noticed some of the more visible changes to the building’s appearance, such as three huge concrete pillars in front of the high school gym’s southern entrance. The pillars will hold up a teepee-like canopy over the school’s new main entrance, one of several Native American elements incorporated in designs for the renovation. Additions to the high school will include a commons area to be outfitted with tables, chairs and benches, providing a place for students to gather as well as a venue for meetings. New administration offices, a computer lab and a reception area for visitors are also in the works.
“The building has to set an expectation for excellence … we have to model that,” Lewandowski said.
On Lewandowski’s recommendation, the school board is also considering adding a cul-de-sac in front of the main entrance to both help buses turn around and to make a more obvious approach to the school for visitors.
“I felt that we needed some kind of directed access,” Lewandowski said.
Construction on the high school addition is set to be completed in early December, and the entire project is still well under its $2.8 million budget, he added.
