Pardon Our Progress

I suppose progress is one way of putting it. I can also understand how one might look at the pictures included in this post and be led to believe we have a real mess on our hands. Truth be told, you are not wrong! But the good news this is all by design. I think there is a saying that goes something like, 'You can't bake a cake with out breaking an egg'. Well, we broke a lot of them! As I mentioned last week, we are working hard to get it right the first time, and to do so will require much patience on everyone's part. 

Patience especially of the students and faculty who will be working in a building that will be under construction for the entirety of the 2023-2024 school year. While the centerpiece of this project is the addition, of which is occurring where there will be no students; we are also remodeling the inside of the building. Our contractors are working hard on classrooms around the west perimeter of the building, but when we designed the project we knew that a lot of this work was going to occur while school was in session. Because of that, teachers will be shifting from one classroom to another as rooms are demolished and then renovated. Students of course will need to be mindful of the fact that where they meet for classes is subject to change. 

We have a good plan to manage these shifts during the course of the school year, but there is another saying that 'No plan survives first contact'. So we need to get used to a fluid environment where flexibility will be much appreciated. I've done quite a few construction projects over the years and I have had to really get comfortable with the unknown; and the realization that we are almost always perpetually behind schedule! This summer has been no different as we deal with material delays and contractors who have to wait on other contractors to show up before they can complete their work!

Perhaps our greatest challenge this year will be managing parking. Parking and traffic flow is something the task force spent quite a bit of time discussing, but ultimately it was determined that because of the way our campus is laid out there is really no viable solution. It will be better once the project is completed, but there is no magic bullet to ensure 'adequate' parking and traffic flow during drop off and pickup. It is always going to be congested. We'll continue to look for solutions and do all we can to mitigate these pressure points, but keep in mind one important point: at the beginning and end of the school day we are moving approximately 900 students on and off campus, in a roughly two block stretch.

This coming school year though, parking is going to be very challenging. For starters, about half the high school parking lot will be inaccessible due to construction. For this reason, we are designating the north parking lot as student parking. However, to accomplish this students will not be permitted to park behind the K-8 building at any time before or after school. This area is reserved for faculty and staff. The high school lot will accommodate approximately 40 cars, and by the time school starts we should have another 40 angle spots available along Wood Street. If students want these premium spots, they will need to arrive early! The good news is that by the time the project is completed we will be net positive when it comes to parking spots around campus and at the high school.

Growing pains for sure. Short term pain for long term gain. We appreciate your patience and flexibility as our construction project progresses. It is going to be a fun year to watch this unfold!