Construction, cafeterias and metal detectors: Amherst gives timeline for facility openings and safety measures

Board members received a construction and safety update covering campus facilities, meal operations and a new safety device rollout.

Mr. Oakes showed before-and-after photos of the high-school kitchen and serving lines, saying all installed ovens are functioning and two additional ovens are pending; he said the cafeteria serving equipment is multifunctional and that staff provided hot meals successfully in the first week. He walked the board through converted classrooms in the former auditorium and said he expects those rooms to be finished "probably by the Christmas break" if work continues on schedule. "That nursing lab is just a fantastic space," a board member said after the walkthrough comment.

On safety, administrative staff reported the division received open-gate metal detectors through a school-safety grant. The administration will notify parents and conduct staff and student training next week; the devices are expected to be in full operation December 1 after the Thanksgiving break. Dr. Hoad/Houghton noted parent communication will go out the following day and training is scheduled ahead of activation.

The update also covered field-house turf repairs (a section reinstalled and welds completed) and timeline expectations for CTE-area finishes (cosmetology and agriculture labs expected after the Christmas break; some rooms estimated for February–March completion). Board members were invited to tour finished spaces during lunch service to see operational kitchens and student meal distribution.

No formal action was required; staff will continue to update the board on construction milestones and the metal-detector deployment.