Construction Watch

Southridge Elementary School won't be ready for the first day of school as planned. Representatives of W.N. McMurry Construction Co. told the Natrona County School District board of trustees Monday that April snowstorms caused the delay.

The project, which involves the construction of sidewalks, curbs and gutters, ramps, and flashing beacons on streets around the two schools which are located next to each other on Etiwanda Avenue.

If the referendum passed, the plan was to rebuild the school from the boiler to the classrooms.

There's been a delay in the start of construction for the Cache County School District's building bond election because of a technical violation, but Cache School Superintendent Steve Norton said it looks like there's a good chance the original schedule can possibly be met.

Officials intend to use the money for a variety of facility improvements over the next five years including paving driveways and parking lots, painting and installing air conditioning at Center Elementary School.

In less than three hours, the state School Building Authority had approved the building of four new schools, construction of five new additions and renovations to five more school buildings with the distribution of about $48 million in state grant money.

The Virginia CUSD #64 approved bids for the new school construction project and accepted resignations of board members Gary Hish and Lenny Moore as well as elementary teacher Sarah Newman and Jr. High volleyball coach and student council co-sponsor Megan Smith.

Bismarck Superintendent Tamara Uselman said that though the snow has had an impact, it has not been enough to affect the construction timelines for the three new Bismarck schools.

There are holes under the roof of the girls weight room at El Rancho High School and birds fly in and leave droppings on the floor, the wooden floor of the boys weight room is in splinters and has to be covered with rubber mats, the science and culinary arts rooms are antiquated, and parts of the girls locker room are covered in mold, the Daily News observed on a visit to the school on April 4.

The 160,000 square-foot building will have 45 classrooms and 12 laboratories. The double-decker school also will house a multi-purpose room, multiple music and art rooms, two gymnasiums, a large cafeteria, spacious hallways, a football field on site, and two driveways for students, staff and parents.