Posted 1:28 pm Friday, January 15, 2010
Construction Of New Woods Elementary School Progressing
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is fourth in a series of stories looking at the construction progress of the schools under construction in the $124.9 million 2008 Tyler ISD bond program.
By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer
The staff and students of Andy Woods Elementary School are full of anticipation as they watch their new school building materialize next door.
Staff Writer
The staff and students of Andy Woods Elementary School are full of anticipation as they watch their new school building materialize next door.
"It's just overwhelming," Woods Principal Kami Hale said. "It is so exciting… I drive by every afternoon and look to see what might have been added."
As students walk to the gym, they get to see the progress.
And, with recent rainy, cold days, students spoke about what a new school will mean to them.
"They are extremely excited," Ms. Hale said, noting one student's comments. "They said, 'Oh, Ms. Hale, we can't wait 'til next year. We will get to get in out of the cold.' They will get to go to P.E. and music without having to walk outside. It will be wonderful."
Donning raincoats and grabbing umbrellas to travel among portable buildings or to go to P.E. will be a thing of the past when the new school opens.
"There's not a day goes by we don't have some type of conversation about, 'We can't wait,'" the principal said.
The new Woods is one of five replacement campuses be-ing built as part of the $124.9 million bond program that TISD voters approved in November 2008.
Monte Robinett, project manager for Tyler ISD's construction projects, said the project is going well. He said, like the new Orr Elementary project, the building is about 60 to 65 percent complete.
But portions of the interior of the new Woods are further along than the Orr project.
In the north end of the school, ceramic tiles are up on the hallway walls and in bathrooms. The ceiling grid is in, and when power is turned on, lights can be put in, officials said.
Permanent power to the building is expected to be turned on this week or next, followed by gas.
Robinett said getting power on in the building will make a big difference in the next two to three weeks. Once the sheet-rock inside can get warm enough, more of the finishes can be completed.
Workers were shaping the arches for the walkway that leads to the gym near the courtyard this week. The courtyard at Woods will feature the continents of the world, officials said.
Two classrooms have not been constructed in the school to leave a way for workers to have access to the courtyard.
The school board approved a guaranteed maximum price of $15,190,760 for Woods from Denson Construction Company Inc.
Woods, like Orr, will be a school similar in design to the Jack Elementary model. Jack was one of seven schools built as part of the 2004 bond program. Woods will be built as an 800-student campus.
The new school sits higher than the existing campus -- when standing on the first floor of the school, you are above the roof of the old building.
The new school fits in snuggly next to the existing school. From a portion of the new school, you can just about touch the existing school's gym.
Robinett praised the work of the construction superintendent, Jim Smith.
"I think he's done very well, given the tightness of this site and that he has maintained his schedule and is going to finish on time," he said.
The new school is scheduled for completion June 10. Of-ficials said when school ends in June, additional work will just be getting started to get the new facility ready for the school year.
The existing Woods Elem-entary sits where the new parking lots and the school's new playground will eventually be.
Robinett said items from inside Woods will be moved to the new facility soon after school is out, then asbestos abatement will take place, followed by demolition of the existing facility in a continuous sequence, so work can begin.
"It's a massive amount of work that's got to take place this summer," Robinett said.
Workers have until Decem-ber to finish that second phase of the Woods project.
Ms. Hale said although they cherish everything about their existing school, she hopes a new facility -- with state-of-the-art equipment and brand new classrooms -- will help students take pride in their learning and what they do at school.
"I hope that it encourages them to be at school every day and put their best foot forward every day in a great new building," she said.
In addition to the students, Ms. Hale said she is excited that teachers will be under one roof and can more easily communicate and collaborate.
"We are just thrilled with the opportunity we're going to have next year in that wonderful new building."
