Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sometime Wednesday morning the first auditorium seat bolt was to be pulled by contractors to begin the Colfax school remodeling project after two years of planning, including funding approval by voters for an $18.9 million bond passed in February 2018.
In the past two weeks, district staff and students – including P.E. classes – cleared out designated rooms in the high school to prepare for contractors to start over spring break.
“They will begin in earnest at the high school,” said Superintendent Jerry Pugh.
Areas cleared for the first phase of work are the library and second-floor south-facing hallway, the shop room, Altaira Bogle’s family and consumer sciences room, the auditorium and the original Jennings Elementary gym.
Books and some furniture from the library were moved to a climate-controlled McGregor warehouse.
Mike Morgan’s band class has been moved to the elementary school, along with the choir, and Jordan McGrath has moved into the band room to vacate his classroom in the south hall of the second floor.
Ronda Penwell’s class has moved to the kennel, next to the band room.
Contractors’ trailers from Wellens Farwell Construction, Enterprise, Ore., were expected to arrive Wednesday morning, to stage in the gravel lot next to the ag building.
The company won the contract with a $12,551,921 bid at a March 5 school board opening session.
Across Morton Street, Pastor Don Moore and the Nazarene Church have agreed to allow space to be used for a classroom – beginning with Mrs. Bogle’s food and family class. The plan is for her new room to be ready in the fall, at which time Stacy Aune’s Spanish classes will move to the Nazarene church room as another phase of construction begins.
Morgan’s band classes are expected to move back to the high school for second semester next year.
Also this week on Wednesday, a staff kickoff was set with cake and punch.
“They’re really taking the bull by the horns,” said Pugh. “The staff has been positive, excited and flexible. I really appreciate their response. It’s gonna be a tough year and a half at the high school, but it’s a doable year and a half, knowing what’s to come. A lot of hard work this staff has done and will do.”
The very first work by the contractors is expected to be tearing out seats from the auditorium, followed by asbestos removal from the flooring.
The auditorium is scheduled to be done in November.
The annual fall musical at Colfax High School next year will be a spring musical.
Items removed for the project, such as the wooden bleachers in the Jennings Elementary gym, will belong to the contractor.
The JES gym will also receive new lighting, paint and the score clocks from the high school.
“It’s going to get a complete facelift,” Pugh said.
As construction continues into 2020, mainly at the high school, teachers and classes will move.
“It’s gonna be a continual rotation for 18 months,” said Pugh, who will attend weekly construction meetings with the contractor, along with Mark Brown, maintenance director. Design West project manager Amy Browne-Minden will often be on site, along with district construction consultant Dax Logsdon.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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