Published: September 03, 2008 01:22 am            

SCHOOLS: Newfane meets its deadline; project under budget

NEWFANE — The Newfane School District is on time for the start of school.

Improvements are being done in the district as part of a $7.2 million capital project. Most of the work is done, enough to let students and staff into the four schools today for the first day of school as planned. A large chunk of the work is being done at Newfane Middle School, about $4 million worth.

Bill Albers of Cannon Design said the priority work has been finished, including pipes, wires and running hot water. All of the bathrooms are functioning he said, and heating units are in place for the classrooms. He added that fire alarms work and the water has been tested at the schools.

There is still some work left to do, and work would continue at night when students are not there at the schools.

“We’re not done yet,” he said. “But all of the work that had to be done in order to make a safe environment for the kids is done.”

New lockers have not arrived yet. Albers said the delivery date was at the end of the month, although he expects it to be later than that. Locker installation would happen overnight and in sections, with students being told to empty the lockers the day of the installation.

Albers said there would be about two months of work left, and a month of finishing up the project.

On Tuesday the school board approved a change order for the project of $38,841.17, which was for replacing the partitions between stalls in the bathrooms at the middle school. A change order is a budgeted item for unplanned situations that might come up during construction, such as removing mold that is found in a wall while fixing it.

An order over $20,000 has to be approved by the board, and the change order total isn’t close to the budgeted amount of $372,000. Albers said about $150,00 has been spent.

“We’re still way under budget,” Superintendent Gary Pogorzelski said.

He added the speed at which Newfane had their project approved and work begun was a good move, as the state is cutting funding to other school districts interfering with their projects. Newfane’s project is 90 percent funded by state aid.

Pogorzelski said the district would make a recommendation to the board for work on items that were left off the current capital project. He said a list would be made up. Pogorzelski also agreed with board member Carl Stieffenhofer, who said the community should be involved.

Two residents spoke in the public forum about an assigned book for high school juniors, “Montana 1948.” The book has at least two passages some parents have found offensive. Judy Sears of Olcott said she did not like the book being assigned and felt it should not have been chosen.

“I’m requesting when you look at a book, remember our minds are adult minds,” she said. “Look at what you are giving out.”

Pogorzelski said a list of books is being developed so the board will be aware of what is being used in the district.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

        

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