Start of construction will put new finish on contentious era
By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
The East Troy Community School District broke ground for the additions and renovations at the high school Friday evening, officially bringing an end to the sometimes contentious process of getting the district’s facility needs referendum passed and executed.
“Five years and we’re finally moving,” School Board President Ted Zess said Monday afternoon.
The ceremony on Oct. 9 included remarks by Zess and high school Principal Rick Penniston, music by the high school band and choir, and a reception.
According to the district, the high school project will include moving the main office to enhance security, adding four classrooms, building a robotics and technology addition, new band rehearsal and fitness rooms, enlarging some of the classrooms in the existing building, renovating the tech ed area, choir room, lecture hall, locker rooms and main bathrooms. There will also be a new energy management system installed at the school.
Zess said the bids for the high school construction are due on Oct. 15 and the School Board will have a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the high school library to view the presentation of the bids. The board will then move to closed session at 6 p.m. to review the bids and reconvene in open session after that to approve the bids.
Zess said things had been going about how they had expected so far in regard to the costs of the construction.
“So far, so good,” he said. “We’ve had a couple things over budget and a couple things under budget. The bids will tell us more about where we stand overall.”
Zess said they were on schedule to begin construction as soon as the bids were accepted on Oct. 20.
“I’m hoping last week of October or the first week of November,” he said. “I know they want to get the foundations in this fall.”
The high school project is expected to be completed in August 2016.
The middle school renovations will also be completed by the start of the 2016-17 school year.
Construction of the new elementary school at the Prairie View site is expected to get underway in April 2016 with completion of the building in June 2017.
Zess said the building plans have been finalized and will be released to the public soon.
“The designs for the elementary school are really beautiful,” he said.
The School District’s website is updated frequently with information on what’s happening in the building process. Go to www.easttroy.k12.wi.us and click on “Building Project Updates” for more information.
