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Westonka board hears construction update as classrooms, admin spaces move toward spring handovers
Summary
District contractor said science classrooms will be turned over at Thanksgiving, the admin area is slated for April, and the stadium and athletic field bids are being finalized with a new project manager assigned.
Contractor and district staff told the Westonka Public School District board that construction on the district's multi-phase school project is progressing on schedule, with a series of classroom and administrative spaces set to come online over the next several months.
"We're turning over classrooms today," said Gary Zippo, who introduced himself as a project executive with Kraus Anderson. He said the science classrooms are due to be handed over at Thanksgiving, the administration area in April, and additional work on corridors and main hallways could extend into summer when work windows are easier to schedule around student traffic. "Steel is coming this week," he added.
The contractor described a phased plan: after the Thanksgiving turnover of science classrooms, another block of classrooms will open immediately after the holiday, with remaining instructional areas and the media center following after winter break. The gym is planned for turnover after spring break. District staff emphasized coordination to limit impacts on student activities and said they will meet with contractors to fine-tune schedules.
Board members asked for timing clarifications. The contractor noted some corridor finishes may not be completed until summer because of the need to work around student movement. The project team also highlighted an upcoming shift to bring more natural light into the education wing by installing windows that were previously boarded off during construction.
The board heard a separate but related update that most bid packages have been accepted and that two remaining packages — for Hilltop and Shirley Hills and the high school stadium/athletic field — are being finalized. The district named Mike Janssen as project manager for those two projects and said staff will meet with main contractors to coordinate phasing with athletics and other school uses.
The board did not take formal action on construction beyond accepting bid packages in a later action item; no dates for final completion were changed during the meeting.
