The construction going on at three Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school district buildings is expected to finish on schedule, according to general construction manager Jim Martin.
Martin updated the school board about the construction status at the board’s Aug. 8 meeting.
Clerk to the school board Jacqueline St. Onge said, The scope of the project is huge in a short period of time, but the supervision is incredible.
Martin said the new O’Rourke Middle School library was `essentially done.` The bookshelves were installed, and the process of stacking books was taking place.
The old library is being turned into two classrooms. Martin said the work is scheduled to be done Aug. 25, and, besides a few odds and ends, the rooms should be completed on time.
Superintendent Jim Schultz said the first school board meeting in September is scheduled to be in the new library.
At the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, the work is more extensive. The heating system is being replaced, which requires new boilers and pipes.
Martin said the two boilers arrived Aug. 7 and were installed in the basement. Martin said the new system will be much more efficient than the pervious one because it uses a computer that allows one boiler to rest for a week while the other runs.
Martin said the construction crew has been working since June to replace the pipes, which requires tearing up the ceiling in each room of the school.
`The piping should be finished in each of the learning areas. The only issue may be the principal’s office,` he said.
The front canopy of the high school is being replaced. Martin said the contractor assured him it would be complete by the start of school on Sept. 6, with the exception of the vinyl flooring.
Major electrical work, which will double the building’s capacity, is also being done. Martin said a new transformer will be installed starting Aug. 16.
Pashley Elementary School is having electrical work done that will provide three times the capacity. The ceiling in every hallway is being replaced. Martin said the work is 60-70 percent complete.
A new elevator is being installed between the two quads of the school. Martin said the work is on schedule.
`The kitchen at Pashley is a different story,` Martin said. Work was supposed to start on the kitchen in May, but, because students were still in school, work didn’t start until June 24.
`All the new appliances are ready for installation, but the trouble is building the space to put them,` Martin said.
The kitchen is supposed to be done by Oct. 1, but Martin said the completion date could move a few weeks.
`We don’t want to take any shortcuts. We want this kitchen to last forever,` he said.
St. Onge said the one problem with the construction crews has been their lack of cleanliness. `They are responsible for cleaning up, which is taking them a long time, but we need things back exactly where they were,` she said.
Martin said the contractors have been holding weekly meetings to discuss their progress and things that are holding them up.
Shultz said all fall sports are moved away from the high school to other locations. “