ESCANABA - Much progress has been made to Escanaba schools during construction and renovations over the past year, with many of the projects slated for completion by the beginning of the school year.
According to Escanaba Area Schools Superintendent Michele Lemire, the district is now "in the thick of the largest portion of the project."
According to the June 2011 Wolgast Corporation construction manager's report, workers at the high school "are nearing the completion of the demolition and will soon be putting things back together."
The courtyard by the south side of the new multipurpose room has been reseeded and new stone work has been installed by a new connecting corridor. Metal panels are also currently being constructed on the upper portion of the multipurpose room.
The report also indicates foundations for the auxiliary physical education room and multipurpose room are "coming along very nicely." Foundations at Lemmer Elementary School are also presently being installed. The plan is to start putting things back together next month.
According to Escanaba High School Principal Doug Leisenring, renovations to classrooms in the high school's C-wing, the girls locker room in the school's D-wing, and expansion to the library in the B-wing are set to be completed by the beginning of the school year.
In addition, two new seventh and eighth grade rooms that will house art and industrial arts, the seventh and eighth grade band room, band storage room, renovated high school chorus and band rooms, and multipurpose room should be ready by the start of the school year.
The multipurpose space will be used for seventh grade closed campus lunch, practice for some sports groups, and for other school-related activities.
New main offices in the B-wing and the auditorium in the F-wing are scheduled to be finished by Oct. 1, while the boys locker rooms, weight room and auxiliary physical education room in the building's D-wing are set for completion around Thanksgiving.
According to the bond proposal which financed the project, the auditorium project includes a new auditorium lobby, new lighting, a sound system and new seating.
The A-section of the building, used to house seventh and eighth graders, will be renovated from November to April and will be completed in two phases by rotating classrooms, according to Lemire.
The high school construction and renovations are a $17.4 million project that will reduce energy costs by $50,000 to $75,000 per year. The project includes roof, insulation, and window replacement, as well as lighting and temperature controls. It also called for a replacement in plumbing and electrical infrastructure and equipment to save more than $1 million over the next 20 years.
Technology equipment and infrastructure will be updated in addition to a new front entry for middle and high school students.
According to Lemire and Leisenring, the newly installed windows are very energy efficient. Made from solera glass, the windows bring optimal light into the classroom for learning and ensure a better heating system with minimal heat loss.
The project will also improve driveways, walkways and parking.
Leisenring said there will be two drop-off loops for enhanced safety. One will be specifically for buses to drop off students, while the other will be a loop for parents who bring their students to school.
Lemire and Leisenring said a community committee has requested to collaborate with the district as they prepare for the Escanaba Sesquicentennial 150 Trees project. The group hopes to plant 150 trees for the celebration and has expressed interest in planting some trees at Escanaba High School. The trees would be incorporated into the high school's site plan, adding to the memorial tree line that needs to be replanted due to construction.
The memorial trees, located in the front of the school on South Lincoln Road are hoped to be replanted in fall 2012.
In addition to high school improvements, Lemmer Elementary School is also reducing energy costs through its implementation of roof, insulation, window, lighting and temperature control replacement as well as new electrical infrastructure and equipment.
Instructional technology and a new front entry, bus drop off areas, parking, and fencing are also being worked on at Lemmer. This project costs about $2.7 million.
Some additional improvements are being made at Soo Hill and Webster Elementary Schools, which also help to reduce energy costs through roof, insulation, window, lighting and temperature control replacements, new electrical infrastructure and equipment, as well as an upgrade in instructional technology for a total of $556,666. A completion date for the project has not been set, but Lemire said the work done will be "much less" than at Lemmer.
A final project being worked on is the replacement of rusting and rotting walls with insulated walls at the bus garage. This is aimed to improve energy efficiency and costs $91,166.
Lemire said the reason behind the school wide construction and renovations is current facilities "are losing so much energy" and the school's goal is to "provide a better learning environment for kids." The construction and renovations will increase student safety, reduce energy costs and enhance classroom technology.
Lemire said with the exception of upgrades to accommodate the physically challenged and replacing a boiler, Escanaba High School has not been renovated in the 50 years since it has been built.
Leisenring said the high school needed to accommodate the transfer of seventh and eighth grade students from the middle school to the high school "to better utilize the building space".
