Date: Fri 29-Aug-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

NHS-high-school-construction

Full Text:

High School Opening Delayed Until Sept. 8

(with photos)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Newtown High School students will have a extra few days to bask in the sun as

the first day of school for them has been delayed until September 8.

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed announced this week that students will

have to be kept out of the building an extra three days as construction

workers scurry to get the school in habitable condition. The school's $30

million addition/renovation project is about 80 percent complete.

All other Newtown students will return to school next Wednesday, including

those at Hawley School, which has undergone an extensive renovation project of

its own. Hawley was expected to be ready late this week.

School officials were hoping to receive the high school's certificate of

occupancy (CO) late this week, allowing teachers to report to the high school

next Tuesday morning. They will have plenty of work to do in preparation for

the hoard of students who will converge on the school six days later,

according to Dr Reed.

The superintendent pointed out that nearly every high school teacher will be

in a different location this year.

"We do apologize for the delay, but we hope that people will understand," Dr

Reed said, adding that a delay in the interest of safety would be well worth

the inconvenience.

NHS Principal Bill Manfredonia said he's excited about finally getting in to

the new building. He believes having the extra three days should make all the

difference.

The NHS administration, along with the high school office staff, was expected

to move back into the building Friday morning.

School and town officials, along with architects and contractors, walked the

building Tuesday morning and concluded that there just wasn't enough time to

have things up and ready by next week. The new 74,000-square-foot building is

ready to go, but the second floor of the existing building needs added

attention, according to George Graikoski of O&G Industries, the project's

general contractor.

"When you consider we moved everything out of there, from pencil holders and

computers to tables and chairs, it's a like a bottleneck over there," Dr Reed

said.

Despite the delay, Mr Manfredonia said he's been pleased with the work going

on at the high school. The job has been overseen by O&G Industries of

Torrington, whose all-out push to get the school up and running fell just a

few days short.

A large section of the old school (mainly the lobby, main office, auditorium

and media center) will not be completed until November or December. That comes

as no surprise to school officials. That area will be sealed off to students

and staff.

Dr Reed declined to speculate when and how the missed school days will be made

up, saying the decision will be made by the Board of Education once winter has

passed. There is some cushioning in the schedule, however. Newtown students

are scheduled to be in school for 182 calendar days, even though the state

requires only 180 days of instruction.

The Hawley School building is 98 percent complete, according to Mr Graikoski,

while site work is 90 percent finished. Workers will be completing "punch

list" items as school begins next week.

Meanwhile, at the high school, the sod still has not been put down on the

football field; that is expected to happen next week. Darien Asphalt, the

contractor in charge of the work, missed a sod-laying date of August 15,

making the possibility of having two home football games in early November

less and less likely. All electrical work at the field is complete, but there

is no concession stand up yet to shelter some of the electrical equipment. The

Blue & Gold Club must still raise $95,000 for the building.

On Wednesday night, Charter Communication's Channel 21 aired a 20-minute

program highlighting what students and staff members can expect when they

arrive next month. The program will run on the hour, every hour from 4 to 8 pm

every day starting Friday, August 29 on Channel 17.