UPDATE, 9/12/24: Roof work continued at the Upper Elementary as the school year got underway, but we are pleased to announce the work is expected to wrap up this week.
ORIGINAL POST, 7/24/24: Since the end of the 2023-2024 school year in Sto-Rox, there have been at least a dozen days with high temperatures over 90 degrees. Just imagine being on top of our roofs! That’s exactly what workers from The Efficiency Network (TEN) spent part of their summer. Throughout June and July, crews have been replacing the roofs of the Primary Center and the Upper Elementary as part of a comprehensive infrastructure improvement plan.
Sto-Rox Summer Projects
Primary Center
• HVAC upgrades including the replacement of classroom ventilator units, air handlers, boilers, water heaters, and chillers; additionally, the building’s automated HVAC systems are being upgraded.
• Roof replacement
Upper Elementary
• HVAC upgrades including boiler and chiller replacements.
• Roof replacement
Jr./Sr. High School
• Replacing drainage and sewage lines for the building’s restrooms
“We want to show people here in Sto-Rox that we are spending money wisely,” said Superintendent Megan Van Fossan. “This project is a prime example of that. Children can’t concentrate in schools that don’t meet their needs, and they shouldn’t be learning in classrooms that don’t meet our standards.”
The project was funded in part by grant money secured by Superintendent Van Fossan and Dr. Patrick O’Toole, the district’s Chief Recovery Officer. In January, Sto-Rox landed $2 million in grants for this summer’s projects. The work is also funded through a mix of taxpayer money and other funding sources, including federal grant money received because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
These projects necessitated everything from crews working on top of the roofs of Sto-Rox schools, to digging trenches in the Jr./Sr. High School office parking lot, and running skid steer loaders through spaces usually occupied by Sto-Rox administrators.
Even with the construction, it is still mostly business as usual. The Upper Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School (with alternate entrances) remain open, while the Primary Center has been temporarily closed to allow the work to take place. Summer programming for students and other district business continues at the other two buildings, and district families have taken note of the changes.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to help create a more comfortable, safe environment for both students and staff,” said Brinton Goettel, TEN’s Project Manager. “The best part of my job is when I hear from the folks in these facilities day in and day out commenting on the positive improvements.”
Crews from TEN have been working hard and fast to meet their goals. They praised the district for allowing them early access once the school board approved the project.
“The district has been incredible to work with,” said Goettel. “Through careful coordination we were able to get ahead of schedule and install nearly all the new classroom unit ventilators at the Primary Center throughout the school year.”
TEN and the district have made progress even while facing the occasional construction challenge, not to mention the heat.
“One of the highest priorities at TEN during our projects is maintaining a safe environment, both for our crews but also for the district,” said Goettel. “We ensure crews are educated on the potential risks of working in high temperatures and take a proactive approach to navigating the elements, one such example being avoiding working during peak heat hours.” In some cases, crews started working as early as 5 a.m. and wrapping up by 1 p.m. to beat the heat.
The district’s summer construction projects are on track to finish by Monday, August 19. That is one week before the start of school – Monday August 26 – and just in time for the district’s open houses on August 20 (Primary), August 21 (Upper), and August 22 (Jr./Sr.).