District reports classroom additions turned over, demolition of older wing begins

Facilities staff told the board April 9 that two recently completed additions — six classrooms adjacent to the ball field and five classrooms at Coopertown Road — have been turned over to the district and are in active use.

Brandon and Ms. Waterman said staff and students were moved into the new Coopertown and ball‑field additions after spring break and contractors began demolition of the A wing to prepare for the next construction phase. Staff reported a short punch list of mostly cosmetic items that crews will address in the coming weeks.

The district also said administrators will temporarily convert the old auditorium into a library and administrative space as front‑addition work continues, with a targeted move next Saturday. Site work — including more than 1,500 linear feet of new sidewalk adjacent to Coopertown Road — was described as progressing, and staff said a major clean‑up of equipment and material is expected as the summer phase ramps up, with mid‑July cited for significant site reopening.

On budget and contingency, facilities staff said lessons learned from earlier work (Chatham) were incorporated into bid documents; the project retains roughly a quarter‑million dollars of contingency and some remaining allowances after prior uses. Trustees praised maintenance and the contractor teams for the rapid classroom relocations.

Next steps: administration will continue punch‑list work, coordinate additional moves for the administration/library, and bring any contract amendments or large change orders to the board for approval.