Schools get summer makeovers

Central Junior High School staff members will have to be somewhat flexible when they report to work Aug. 9.

The school’s main office and girls locker room have been under construction this summer. The projects’ completion is scheduled for Sunday.

“I’m pretty confident we’ll have most things ready and in place for school,” said Central Junior High Principal Ted Juneau. “It’s just going to take a little time and flexibility. But I think we all realize the amount of improvement there will be.”

Central Junior High is one of several schools to benefit from about $3.4 million worth of summer construction and renovation projects.

“We’re still in flux on the exact totals, but it’s really looking like we’re going to break even,” said Tom Bracciano, director of operation and facility planning for the district.

The district worked with architecture firm Gould Evans Associates on about $2.4 million worth of the summer projects.

The projects included:

  • Adding chiller and air-conditioning units at Lawrence High School, CJHS, Hillcrest and Sunset Hill schools and East Heights Early Childhood Family Center.

    • Derek May, of May Contractors, works on tile in the girl's locker room at Central Junior High School. The Lawrence school district has several construction projects going on this summer. The projects at Central are scheduled to be finished Sunday, the day before teachers report back to work.

  • Replacing and repairing plumbing at West Junior High School.
  • Replacing windows at LHS, Cordley and Hillcrest.
  • Masonry work at LHS and Cordley.
  • Replacing bleachers at WJHS.
    • video 6News video: LHS athletes looking forward to cooler gym (7-13-04)

Bracciano said the chillers and air-conditioning units at Central and LHS should be running now — much to the relief of school employees. LHS Principal Steve Nilhas said the new chiller would keep the gym cool.

“It’s been a concern with the number of kids that go through there,” Nilhas said. “It will be a much better situation.”

The district did about $1 million worth of school renovations in-house. Those projects included work on gyms and restroom floors, adding carpet, widening the driveway at East Heights, sidewalk repair and a new asphalt overlay for the parking lot at Kennedy School.