Summer of school construction

Auch Construction workers get busy remodeling a bathroom at Sashabaw Middle School. Photo by Matt Mackinder

BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Staff Writer

Contractors will complete about $12.5 million in school construction work this summer.
The Phase III projects include interior renovations at North Sashabaw, Andersonville, and Bailey Lake elementary schools; secure entry, interior renovations, and site work at Sashabaw Middle School; secure entry, access control, and gym floor at Clarkston High; secure entry and interior renovations at Renaissance High; parking lot expansion at the Early Childhood Center/administration building; and new furniture for all the elementary schools.
“The community should be excited,” said John Barrett of Auch Construction, who is serving as the superintendent on the upgrades to Clarkston schools. “We’ve been here the last three years, and we love coming here. I was first a consultant here in the 1990s and to see how far everything has come is truly amazing.”
Work began on June 10, with completion planned for Aug. 9.
“We’ve had inspections as we go and confidently, I can confirm we have passed each inspection,” Barrett said. “The community has always appreciated what we do here, and that’s not always the case in every community.”
School Board President Elizabeth Egan said, “the Board of Education is appreciative for the funding from our community so we can enhance our building safety and learning environment. We have a special Bond Implementation Committee, review all project plans at the board table, and take site visits as needed to ensure our monies are invested as promised.”
Barrett, along with Clarkston Community Schools Director of Buildings and Grounds Westley Goodman, is overseeing the summer bond projects:
Early Childhood Center/Administration Building – Expansion of parking lot and utilities. Reconfigure entry drive. Access to site will be maintained with temporary road and any closures will be performed on a weekend or off hours. Site will allow for normal building access.
Renaissance High School – Addition of doors and windows to create a vestibule, new reception desk, and other minor finish upgrades in main office and work room.
Clarkston High School – Create secure entry vestibule with new door into office, new reception desks, and other minor main office renovations. New electronic hardware and access control at main egress and entry points throughout building. Free egress will always be permitted.
Andersonville Elementary – Replacement of lockers, classroom flooring, lighting upgrades, six unit ventilators, countertops, sinks, bathroom upgrades, media center upgrades, and other finish improvements. Site access to remain as is and will not be restricted. Building is closed to the public for the summer construction.
Bailey Lake Elementary – Replacement of lockers, classroom flooring, lighting upgrades, roofing, countertops, sinks, bathroom upgrades, media center upgrades, and other finish improvements. Site access to remain as is and will not be restricted. Building is closed to the public for summer construction.
North Sashabaw Elementary – Replacement of lockers, classroom flooring, lighting upgrades, countertops, sinks, bathroom upgrades, media center upgrades, and other finish improvements. New track location. Complete removal, expansion, and replacement of utilities and paving in shared drives and parking lot with Sashabaw Middle School. Site access for and building access for contractors will be in place to allow for completion of the interior work but it will be of temporary fashion and be coordinated as the sitework progresses. Entry points and parking areas will change throughout the summer. Building is closed to the public.
Sashabaw Middle School – Replacement corridor flooring, lighting upgrades, new secure entry and renovated office area, sinks, bathroom upgrades, media center upgrades, and other finish improvements. Complete removal, expansion, and replacement of utilities and paving in shared drives and south parking lot with North Sashabaw Elementary School. Select sitework and pavement replacement in north parking lot. Access to this lot should be available throughout the summer and will primarily be used for contractor parking and access at this building. Entry points and parking areas may change throughout the summer. Building is closed to the public.

Contractors will be working on the Sashabaw Middle School parking lot during most of this summer. Photo by Matt Mackinder

New furniture will be installed in August in all the elementary schools.
In addition, the district also implemented a new Instructional Technology Department with the bond money. Approximately $8.2 million has been spent so far, including network switches, wireless access points, and cabling, and new classroom multimedia technology district-wide. This includes a new district-wide phone system, and device upgrades throughout the district.
In August 2016, Clarkston voters approved a $76 million bond proposal for the completion of safety, technology, and building projects across the district.
Phase I, in the summer of 2017, was approximately $7.6 million, and included Andersonville site and secure entry, Bailey Lake site and secure entry, CHS athletic field improvements, SPE site and playground, and district-wide security cameras.
Phase II, summer 2018, was approximately $17.05 million and included CE, PKE, and NSE secure entries. It included CJHS secure entry, site, and furniture, and the first phase of district-wide controls.
Phase IV, summer 2020, includes remaining technology, and miscellaneous remaining projects – approximately $30 million. It will include CHS interior renovations, addition, and site work; CE interior renovations and site work; PKE interior renovations and site work; ECC secure entry; IE and SPE learning commons renovations; and new furniture at SMS and CHS.

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