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A couple of problems, but summer work nearly done
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · August 20, 2015
“They cut a lot of walls” to renovate the locker rooms at Hoover Elementary, Maintenance Director Ruben Galvan said.
He and several school leaders — plus board candidates Julie Sexton and Jodi Yeggy — toured the grounds Aug. 10 to check on summer projects worth about $945,000. They were joined by City Administrator Matt Muckler.
The goal for completing additional parking at the high school and restroom and locker room upgrades was Aug. 1. On the tour, it appeared that almost all of the restroom work was done and most of the locker room work was done, except the lockers were not back on the walls. And the 43 additional parking spots were ready except for painted lines, but the sidewalks were not yet in place.
Superintendent Kevin Hatfield said that subcontractor Republic Locker apparently went out of business, so general contractor S&S Plumbing of Marengo had to find an alternative, which means the new lockers are running about a month behind schedule. The school will use the old lockers until then.
Kindergarten and pre-K restrooms were upgraded with new lighting to make them brighter and new tiling to make cleaning easier.
The more extensive work was on the hallway restrooms on the north end of Hoover Elementary. Before, children opened doors to get in; now, the area is open and entering involves walking around a privacy wall much like those found in shopping mall restrooms.
Also, there are only commodes inside the restrooms. A large, modern trough-like sink is outside, between the entrances, with paper towel dispensers on the right and left.
“Wow, what a change,” Muckler said. “What a great change.”
“Very nice,” Board President Kathy Knoop said.
Hatfield noted that the contractors flipped the restrooms from before — the boys restroom is now on the right and the girls is on the left.
In the locker rooms off the gymnasium, the school added baby changing tables to accommodate families visiting the school for events, Hatfield said.
“It’s just so amazing what a coat of paint does,” Hoover Elementary Principal Jess Burger said.
“This looks very nice,” Knoop said.
Other summer work included new cabinets going into the art room and replacing a shed outside the pre-K classrooms.
Hatfield noted that Galvan and his staff were unhappy with some of the work done by the cleaning crew company and had to come in and do more once they had left.
“We will get reimbursed,” Hatfield said. “Our crew did twice the job.”
At the high school, Hatfield said weather caused some delays, but a larger problem was the existence of broken tiling — or piping — hidden underground. He said it was found to drain water from the nearby ball field and was dumping an estimated 25 to 50 gallons a day into what was once an open field. Subcontractor Barnhart’s Custom Services had to dig several times to find and fix the problem before continuing, and added that he appreciated how the local company did not charge as much as it could have to do so.
The group climbed the hill south of the new parking lot and next to the baseball field’s outfield fence. Turning to the north, Hatfield said the 15-year plan includes moving the softball field up to where they stood, making room for a new parking lot entrance that moves traffic better to new parking areas.
He said that architectural drawings make it appear that the softball and baseball fields are very close, but they would actually set about 30 yards apart. Also, while the area does not seem very large, the softball field should fit “with 15 feet to spare.”
Knoop said she has heard criticisms of the 15-year plan, but said that no public school can get everything it wants.
“We’re doing the best we can,” she said. “It happens everywhere.”
Board member Richard Paulus said that some people questioned why the school district purchased so much property when it built the high school nearly four decades ago.
Hatfield said the city of West Branch has worked well with the school.
“Everybody who lives in West Branch will see the value in this,” Muckler said.
Board member Mike Owen said the school district must remind residents frequently about the 15-year plan as it is carried out.
“We constantly have to re-educate the community,” he said.
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