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Central School update Construction project is moving along

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Central Superintendent Nick Trenkamp stands in the still-to-be-completed high school media center to show the expansive view students will have from the new area.
Central Superintendent Nick Trenkamp stands in the still-to-be-completed high school media center to show the expansive view students will have from the new area.

By Pam Reinig
Register Editor

Students and teachers might be gone but work continues at Central Schools, where a $6 million capital improvements project is ahead of schedule and right on budget.

“Hopefully, the whole project will be done by the beginning of the school year,” said Central Superintendent Nick Trenkamp. “There’s a lot of work to accomplish this summer but if it can be done it puts a three-year project done in two—and as of today, right on budget!”

Trenkamp gives all of the credit to Larson Construction, who he says has worked diligently to find cost-effective solutions to unforeseen problems like walls hidden behind other walls, which has happened more that a few times.
“With a building that has been pieced together over a long period of time, we have run into many unexpected circumstances,” Trenkamp added.

Assuming the construction schedule goes according to plan, students will return in late August to a fully remodeled industrial technology space with new self-ventilated welding booths. There will be a new high school media center, several new classrooms, new locker rooms, a fitness area, ADA-compliant bathrooms and an elevator.

There will also be new stairs leading to the playground area and new sidewalks. In addition, the school has purchased two houses adjacent to the campus, which will be razed for a new parking lot.

Last year, the school unveiled one the project’s biggest changes—replacing the traditional cafeteria with a commons area.

Think about all of the time a traditional cafeteria sits empty,” said Trenkamp. “Our Commons Area is used for serving lunches but also for class meetings, collaboration and learning. The community also has access to the space so it’s used outside of school hours, as well. Converting to the Commons Area has been the most noticeable change of the project because the space is the most used in the building.”

(Editor’s note: In an effort to bring readers timely, information school news, I am frequently in the building. I can’t think of time I’ve visited that the Commons Area hasn’t been in use. )

Also completed last year were new science classrooms, new elementary offices and a new, fully secured entrance to the elementary wing. Equipment was also implemented to secure the main entrance.

When the project is fully completed, Central will host an open house. A target date is 2019 homecoming (September 20) but that depends on the completion of the remaining work.
 

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