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West Bend board hears detailed construction update on McLean and Green Tree work
Summary
District facilities director Tim Harder told the board that major mechanical, life-safety and accessibility work at McLean and Green Tree elementaries is complete for classroom areas needed for the start of school, with remaining items — windows, a generator and exterior work — scheduled through fall and into next year.
Tim Harder, the district’s director of facilities and technology, told the West Bend Joint School District No. 1 Board of Education on Sept. 8 that construction work at McLean and Green Tree elementaries met the priority goals for opening the school year.
Harder said final mechanical and occupancy inspections were completed for the areas needed on day one and that two new fire-alarm and sprinkler systems passed inspection. He described the new alarms as voice-enabled systems that tell occupants where to exit and noted that removal of the old alarm systems is an ongoing, room-by-room process.
The director said crews remodeled roughly 6,000 square feet across the two buildings, installed more than 80 HVAC sensors to improve control and energy efficiency, and replaced or installed more than 80 window frames with some 200 panes of glass in the 82 days since the project began. Heavy Americans with Disabilities Act restroom remodels were finished at both schools, and staff and nurse areas at the main entrances were turned over for use.
Harder described safety features added at McLean, including areas of rescue assistance (a place on an upper floor where occupants can call for fire-department help) and the integration of PA, clock-and-bell, security and fire systems so single events can trigger appropriate alerts. He said exterior and vestibule door replacements are scheduled to begin within two weeks, staged to limit disruption.
Work that will continue into the fall and next year includes completion of remaining windows (expected in October), installation of a preordered generator and an air-handling unit (long lead items that can take nine months to a year to arrive), and exterior site work. Harder said Green Tree’s east parking lot will be reconfigured and repaved next spring to improve circulation and accommodate an incoming early‑learning program; that work typically triggers plan‑commission review and so is scheduled later.
A number of items were scheduled for next summer to avoid redoing recent paving: gym floor replacement and new bleachers at McLean (the floor suffered damage unrelated to construction), foundation repairs coordinated with parking-lot work, and modernization of an elevator that will remain in service. Harder said the second elevator was removed to repurpose space for a “super toilet” (a restroom with a changing facility and lift), an accessibility feature funded by the district referendum.
Board members who visited the sites praised the work and thanked crews for minimizing disruption. Harder said site teams hold daily safety meetings with contractors and adjust work sequencing around recess and class schedules to maintain student safety.
Harder credited Fire Department inspector Ed Geidel for helping complete fire inspections and said finishing punch-list items will continue while students are on campus. He added that some corridor tile was temporarily infilled where the final color was backordered to avoid trip hazards.
Looking ahead, Harder said most remaining McLean work should be wrapped up by November, with early‑learning restroom fixtures and final casework being completed in the coming weeks. Green Tree will see concentrated exterior and parking-lot work next spring once design, permitting and bidding steps are complete.
The board did not take formal action on the construction report; the update was informational.
