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Garfield campus move-in date studied
Published November 18, 2009
Architects on the Garfield Elementary replacement school say progress is “picking up speed”, but questions remained about when, exactly, the school will open.
Garfield Principal Janell Runyan, who was among audience members at Monday night's school board meeting, said no one has told her when they would start school at the new campus.
Architect David Brown, with Ferrell, Brown and Associates, provided a timeline that noted teachers could begin moving over to the campus on Dec. 14.
Runyan remained skeptical prompting board vice president Stanley Blackstone to intervene on her behalf.
“I trust administration will sit with Mrs. Runyan to iron this out?” said Blackstone.
San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Kelt Cooper said that would be accomplished this week.
Cooper said the “gameplan” is to have the school open to students on the first day back from holiday vacation in January.
Board president Raymond Meza, who said he routinely passes the construction site, noted significant progress in the past month.
Construction at the Garfield campus has been plagued with delays since ground was broken more than a year ago.
Architects for the project have updated the board monthly, and were often skeptical that impending deadlines could be met.
Last month, the board told contractors and architects the school must be ready in January and that no excuses would be accepted.
Brown said to ensure deadlines are met, faltering subcontractors on the project were replaced and other subs have upped their manpower to speed progress.
“The work has picked up rather nicely,” said Brown. “They are throwing a lot of manpower at it.”
Brown said a first round of building inspections by the architect is planned for next week.
The school district faced similar delays to those at Garfield Elementary during the North Heights Elementary renovation project, which was handled by a different general contractor.
That school was slated to open at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, but after teachers began moving their classroom items, they were told school would start at the old campus and were forced to move back.
The board has repeatedly said they do not want a repeat of that incident.
North Heights Principal Denise Reyes, who was attending Monday's meeting on a different matter, said a new school is worth the wait.
“It was stressful, but totally worth it,” said Reyes.
The Garfield project, which will replace one of the district's oldest schools, is expected to cost the more than $14.3 million.
The current Garfield campus, located off Las Vacas Street, has little room to grow and is regularly plagued by flooding during even moderate rainfall.
The new campus will be located between Las Vacas Street and West Martin Street.
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