| Work Detail |
It’s going to be a race to the finish line as a summer of construction on Missoula schools winds down. Funded by the combined $88 million elementary and $70 million high school Smart Schools 2020 facility bond passed by voters in 2015, 10 schools -- seven elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools -- underwent construction. Just looking at our daughter’s school, said resident Sneed Collard, it looks like they are doing great things. The majority of the schools will have construction completed by the time the year starts, but two schools -- Rattlesnake Elementary and Paxson Elementary -- will have construction continue into the school year with students in the building. That construction is expected to be done by Jan. 1. Lowell and Franklin Elementary schools will not be open this year. The construction at those two schools is expected to be completed by August 2017. I am glad that they are finally tackling it, said Collard. They shouldn''t have let it go that long. Investment in our children is very important, very key, said resident Yohana Weaver. Students will notice the difference as soon as they walk in the door. We have remodeled entryways which funnel all traffic to the administrative assistant and reception area for increased safety and security, said MCPS Superintendent Mark Thane. Other additions include rewiring schools so that each classroom has its own wireless portal. Construction continuing into the school year has received mixed responses. My kid was supposed to go to Rattlesnake, and I am glad he''s not, said Weaver, so that he doesn''t have to be in the middle of the construction. It is unavoidable, if you are making changes of such extent. said Collard. They will look at the results and think ‘Wow, that’s really cool that my parents and grandparents thought about us enough to invest in this kind of infrastructure. Thane says that there will be barriers for both dust and sound in schools with active construction. He says students and construction workers won''t be able to interact, and each worker has undergone a background check. The current construction is the first round of improvements and renovations for the district. Plans are already taking shape for another round to start next summer. |
