Superintendent: Roxbury wing abatement underway; district targeting November completion

Superintendent Bolden told the Solon Board of Education on Oct. 27 that abatement work in the Roxbury wing is underway and remains on schedule. He said staff have removed and cataloged furniture and are scanning critical records before work begins in earnest.

"They're now going through the process of cataloging all the things that are in those rooms," Bolden said. "They're getting the ones that are the absolute critical ones that need to be scanned. They're being scanned. ... They're now getting ready to start on the full blown abatement process. That's where they're going to be ripping out the ceiling, ripping out floor tiles and carpet, sanitizing everything, getting everything basically down to the bare room so that we can then build it back up again."

Bolden said the abatement contractor is targeting completion of the abatement phase in November, and district staff expect several additional weeks for restoration work (flooring, ceiling, lighting, cabinetry) after abatement finishes. He told the board that, because of the nature of the abatement, the district cannot do phased cleaning and restoration room-by-room and must wait for abatement to conclude before contractors return to rebuild.

The superintendent also thanked Parkside Church for hosting district operations during the restoration, saying staff and teachers are creating a workable learning environment there even though the site "wasn't built as a school." Parkside volunteers have assisted with logistics and offered support such as meals for staff.

No vote was required; the update was provided as an information item.