As School Opens, Construction Work to Continue

In 1996, the was forced to delay the start of school for  students by one week because the campus simply wasn't ready.

Despite a summer in which it , the district won't be doing that in 2012. , as planned.

District officials say each of the schools are ready for students, including the as that school gets between now and the fall of 2013. But they've acknowledged that some of the work will continue in the evenings and on weekends well into the school year and as late as January 2013.

"We will absolutely be ready for students to arrive at safe and accessible campuses on Monday, but there will be some work being done at schools into January," Tim Ryan, the district's director of maintenance and operations, told the school board at its Aug. 30 meeting.

The biggest impact on the early part of the school year will be on teachers preparing for Back to School Night on Sept. 19. Teachers were only able to get access to the campuses late last week, leaving them a significantly shorter window than usual to get their classrooms looking good.

For Mill Valley Middle and Tam Valley Elementary schools, the unfinished work is relatively minor. At the Middle School, for instance, benches for students to use to change for physical education won't be ready - but won't be needed - until late September, Ryan said. 

The ongoing work at the other three schools is listed below:

Park School

• The dooors leading outside at the end of each wing won't arrive until Sept. 12.
• Pedestrian access will be limited on select areas of the campus at times.
• Permanent handrails installed before Oct. 1.
• Some interior and exterior finish, such as trim work, painting and stair treads will be underway through September 17.
• The new configuration of the library annex will be on going for the first week of school.
• Clocks and bells may not be functional until the 2nd week of school.
• The blacktop slurry seal and the the new striping in place will be completed on weekends by Oct. 1, depending on weather.
• Planting will continue until Oct. 1.
• The accessible path of travel into the garden will not be complete until Oct. 1.
• Some ceiling fans won't be installed until Oct. 1.
• Boiler Thermostatic controls may not be functioning until Oct. 1.
• Cabinets in teacher's workroom may not be installed until Oct. 1.
• Kickball back stop at Elm Street will not be installed until Nov. 1.
• Interior stair treads may not be installed until Nov. 1.
• Basketball hoops at the annex playground will not be complete until Nov. 1.
• The wood floors in the classrooms and multi-purpose room will be clean, but not refinished. They will be refinished over the Winter Break.

Strawberry Point School

• Pedestrian access will be limited on select areas of the campus at times.
• Temporary handrails may be installed, with permanent installation before October 1st.
• Some interior and exterior finish, such as trim work, painting and stair treads will be underway through Sept. 17.
• Clocks and bells may not be functional until the 2nd week of school.
• Temporary toilet partitions will be installed in the main building in the student's restroom. Permanent toilet partitions will be installed by Oct. 1.
• Covered walkways and related paving won't be in place until Oct. 1.
• The blacktop slurry seal and the new striping will be completed on weekends by Oct. 1, depending on weather.
• Fencing will not be complete until Oct. 1.
• Planting will continue until Oct. 1.
• The accessible path of travel into the garden will not be complete until Oct. 1.
• New basketball standards and hoop will be installed by Nov. 1.
• In the main building select areas that were to receive new vinyl floors will not be complete. Those areas will open school with exposed concrete. Complete installation of the flooring will not be complete until Nov. 1.

Edna Maguire

• Interior and exterior finish like trim work and painting will run through Sept. 17.
• Clocks and bells may not work until the second week of school.
• Striping at playgrounds and parking lot will be complete before September 24th.
• The installation of tetherball, dropshot and basketball hoops will run through Sept. 17.
• The seal coat on the asphalt play area near the PTA Garden will be finished Oct. 1.
• There will be limited pedestrian access on certain parts of the campus at times. 

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