Renovations at Sterling’s Washington Elementary will be finished by school start

STERLING — Renovations at Washington Elementary will be sufficiently complete that the district’s campus for grades three through five will be open Aug. 17 for the first scheduled day of class.

But it’s been close, Superintendent Tad Everett informed the board of education at its regular meeting Wednesday.

Two weeks ago, he would have had a different answer. “Almost a week ago, it looked like a major construction site,” he said.

The holdup? Many things that were ordered in February for the project didn’t arrive until Aug. 5.

“We were waiting on parts, waiting on materials,” Everett said. Some of the furniture only arrived that day.

Brian Musselman, director of building and grounds, informed the district’s Finance-Transportation-Facilities Committee on Tuesday that work on hallway ceilings, gym floor, main office, kitchen and collaboration rooms, and locker installation, were substantially completed on Aug. 5.

The library was unfinished at the time of the committee meeting. Musselman told Everett earlier Wednesday that work will be completed before the start of school.

Contractors and custodial staff alike have devoted either extra workers or time to complete the project. Winter Construction of Freeport and Engel Electric Co. of Sterling both were mentioned along with the district’s maintenance team for making the extra effort.

“They’ve been working overtime, and we’re going to have it done, so it’ll be ready Monday for when the teachers come and definitely everything will be ready for students,” Everett said.

Not all the work will be finalized. Decorative roof panels won’t arrive until September, and Everett said there are temporary fixes. Wiring was done to code, but will have to be redone when parts for the hot water system arrive.

He also said the normal sealant used after the yearly sanding and resurfacing of the gym floor could not be obtained, so a substitute was used. Delays in the supply chain, causing delays in manufacturing and, thus, delays in delivery. “It’s going to be the reality for us,” he said.

Building Principal Liz Engstrom has been working with Musselman to have teachers work in stages to bring in their classroom materials, but timing it so renovation work on the hallways can continue. So, as each classroom was completed, that room’s teacher was allowed to bring in materials.

“It won’t be turn-key for the teachers,” Engstrom told the board. “But I’ve had Washington teachers reach out and say while they can’t get the room in the shape they’d like, the important thing is the relationship with the students.”

Everett relayed one of the difficulties of the Washington renovation: the absence of the 1951 architectural drawings. So they relied on the existing plans for Lincoln School building, which is nearly identical and from the same era. Contractors discovered an entire beam was needed to bring Washington up to code, so that was installed over the summer. But Everett said the contractor’s experiences at Washington should prepare them for Lincoln, which will be worked on in the next phase of the district improvements.

In a separate item from the committee report, Musselman said the playground equipment at Washington was installed. Mulch was added to the play area. The sidewalk and fitness path will be completed this week. Sterling Fence will replace the alley fence by Aug. 17.