The first phase of renovation work at Independence Middle School is nearly complete and looking spectacular. “What an improvement! It looks like a totally different school,” said Superintendent Dr. James Walsh. “You realize how much it needs it when you see these new, modern spaces.” The one major piece of this phase, a new elevator servicing all three floors near the gym, will be completed during the holiday break.
Seventh grade students and teachers as well as some special area teachers have moved into the new rooms on the first floor temporarily while the renovations move upstairs as a part of phase two. The phase two renovations will completely remake the special area classrooms, the kitchen and cafeteria, and the upstairs classrooms and replace the ramp between the first and second floor with a stair tower. Phase two work outside includes replacing the metal roof, cleaning and treating the brick, and adding some sidewalks and landscaping.
The Board has not approved the phase two contracts yet. The bids came in way above estimates, so three areas have been removed from phase two and added to a newly created phase three. These three areas are the gym locker rooms, the auditorium and the music hallway. Phase two will be rebid when the drawings for the work to be done in phase three are ready.
“Slowing down this process and getting good pricing is absolutely the right thing to do. We are not in a rush to finish this project by a certain point. We have the time, so let’s take advantage of that to do it right and do it responsibly,” added Dr. Walsh.
