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Finishing touches

All city schools undergoing construction expected to be ready for start

Three schools in the city have been undergoing construction work throughout the summer, and while construction projects are still being worked on, all three schools are expected to be open for students and staff for the beginning of the school year.

Dr. Kevin Whitaker, Jamestown Public Schools District superintendent, reported that the summer has been busy with construction across Jamestown Public Schools as they complete the 2021 capital work at Jamestown High School and begin Phase A of the voter-approved 2023 capital project at Persell Middle School and Lincoln Elementary School.

Work at Persell includes improvements such as a new roof, renovated bathrooms, updated mechanical and plumbing systems, enhanced lighting and window security, and extensive parking lot work. At Lincoln, crews are repairing exterior ramps and stairs and completing improvements to flooring, lighting, windows, roofing, and security.

"We expect all three buildings to be ready for staff on August 31 and for students on the first day of school, Wednesday, September 2," Whitaker said. "Contractors are working around the clock alongside our facilities team to complete priority areas and turn over spaces as they become ready."

At Jamestown High School, the renovated old gym is expected to reopen in September and work will continue in the auditorium with completion anticipated by the end of the calendar year. Whitaker said a $150,000 change order was approved by the Board of Education on Aug. 25 to restore the auditorium ceiling to "its historic level befitting of this uniquely constructed space."

Construction also continues in a non-student area behind the kitchen, where contractors discovered a deteriorated sanitary sewer line beneath the floor. According to a July Post-Journal article, the issue was discovered when crews found sewage leaking away from a pipe. Investigation into the issue revealed more than 100 feet of damaged or broken pipe, with much of the pipe bottom rotted out. The pipe ends just outside the kitchen, and a camera examination has determined there is no more pipe that needs to be replaced. It will cost between $160,000 and $180,000 to dig down and replace the bad pipe. District officials also found flooring issues underneath a cooler that was removed from the kitchen. It will cost between $55,000 and $75,000 to replace the old cooler cork slab that was underneath the cooler.

The board of education approved a change order of up to $260,000 in July following this discovery, to replace the line and restore the area, with completion expected later this fall.

"With both change orders, the district is still ahead of schedule and under budget on this phase of capital work," Whitaker said. "The kitchen work will not affect student access to the cafeteria, which will remain fully operational as it has been since reopening last spring. Thanks to the close coordination among our facilities team, contractors, and architects, we do not anticipate the remaining construction will disrupt the opening or regular operation of our schools."