Published: July 10, 2008 05:17 pm            

School projects moving forward

Bond money funding several improvements

Stillwater schools’ students may not like returning to class next month, but at least their rooms will be air conditioned.

John Anders, the district’s facilities manager, said the replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning units is scheduled to begin Tuesday. Before school starts, new HVAC units will be in place at the high school, middle school, junior high gym, Highland Park and Richmond elementaries.

The HVAC replacement and several other projects were funded through the bond issue approved by Stillwater voters in October.

Work on the major component of that bond issue — a football stadium at Stillwater High — also is underway and the track project at the junior high is still set to be completed before school opens.

“The junior high track is rolling pretty good right now,” Anders said Wednesday. “We had a few delay days due to weather,” but completion is projected for the first week of August.

The first phase of stadium construction — basically moving dirt — was under budget, Anders said, and bids for the second phase are being examined now.

“We’re getting recommendations ready for the Board (of Education),” Anders said.

Also scheduled to be completed this summer are roofing work at nine schools, at a cost of $40,000, and clock/bell/intercom upgrades at the high school and Sangre Ridge Elementary ($75,000).

Don Allen, a consultant who helped the district with remediation at the Performing Arts Center, is now working on preparing bid documents for wheelchair lifts at six schools ($75,000) and safety and security vestibules at seven schools ($100,000). Those two projects may not go to bid before spring, Anders said.

Allen also is working to determine the cost of adding parking spaces at Will Rogers Elementary School.

Bob Zahl, a structural engineer from Oklahoma City who also helped with the PAC remediation, is under contract to work on the foundation at the junior high that has been damaged by shifting ground. There are three projects related to the damaged foundation, budgeted for $110,000 total.

So far, all projects have been within budget, Anders said.

        

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