BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ISD #777

Exceptional Opportunities for Every Student's Success

Northside Construction:

·       Footings have been poured for the NS cafeteria/activity space and kitchen.  Crews plan to pour masonry walls Friday.  Once those are poured Kennedy will backfill and put in fill so plumbing can be installed and the floor can get poured. 

·       NS office work will begin next week. Mary’s office has been rearranged to accommodate the temp wall that will be installed for construction. Demolition work of the NS men’s and women’s bathrooms is scheduled to begin as soon as the cafeteria floor is poured. Crews will access the bathrooms from the outside.

·       The rain has slowed the soil correction on the west end addition, in fact seven days of digging have been lost so far. However, the plan is to resume digging on Friday and get back on schedule.  

·       October 16-18 Kennedy and the city plan to dig in the new wastewater and storm water lines in the front of NS.  The two small trees will be relocated to the back of NS, unfortunately the larger trees are too big to move.  This will involve digging up part of the SW entrance sidewalk and out onto the street. 

·       Temporary power has been installed at both construction sites at NS.

BHS

·       Bids have been awarded for the BHS construction project. Contracts have been sent out. Contractors are working on shop drawings and ordering materials.

·       Construction at BHS is expected to begin in early October.

Groundbreaking for the Northside Elementary project was held Tuesday afternoon.  Thank you to our youngest learners, construction team, teachers, and school board members for taking part in the ground breaking ceremony as we prepare for construction to begin at Northside.

We are so excited to have dedicated space for the wonderful preschool programs, including the Discovery Kids Childcare Center, all located at Northside. These are going to be amazing spaces for student learning and development!

Below is a construction update as we prepare for back to school. I want to make sure everyone is informed of what is happening and what everyone can expect. Let me know if you have any questions. 

• The Auditorium has been demolished and filled in. Demo went as planned. The exposed doors on the west wall of the junior high have been secured both from the inside and outside with insulation in between. The doorways are secure and safe.
• Dirt work is being completed at BHS to prepare for footings. This work will be completed before students return.
• Bid opening for the BHS project will be August 22^nd. The board will meet on August 28^th to award bids. There will be 38 different bid categories, so many contractors.
• No more work is scheduled at BHS until mid-late September once bids are awarded, contracts signed, permit received from state, etc.
• Door #2 by the BHS office will be in use, though it will be walking across plywood. The main entrance will also be open.
• Safety walls will be installed in the hallway up the ramp toward the junior high so it is ready for work on the exterior wall. The hallway will be narrowed.
• Remember that 14^th street and Elizabeth Ave north of BHS will be one way streets.
• School buses will be unloading and loading north of BHS.
• The entrance by the junior high will be open for the school year.
• All BHS entrances and junior high will be open for Open House and into September.
• At NS all entrances will be open for Open House.
• After Open House safety fencing will be installed so the main entrance will not be usable. Safety fencing will also be going up on the west end of NS.
• Most of the East of NS will still be available for staff parking. Parking will be the same at NS as last year expect for about 6 slots.
• The new parking lot will not be constructed until the summer as to not take up playground space and for safety.
• There will be a “Ground Breaking” Ceremony at NS on August 27^th at 2:00 p.m.
• Significant work on the exterior NS will begin the end of August.
• Remember that the street in front of NS will be a one-way going west. Signs will be posted before school starts.

 
Sincerely,
Dennis Laumeyer
Benson Public Schools Superintendent

Starting Wednesday, June 19^th, the circle drive at Benson High School will no longer be available. Security fencing will be installed. Access will be from the high school parking lot entrances. The main doors will be open to enter the high school.

Please use care when entering and exiting near construction sites.  Construction will take place in various phases and areas at the high school and Northside Elementary until completion, expected in 2021.

Please share this information with students, family, friends and community members and remember to use extreme caution by keeping a safe distance from construction sites.

We appreciate your cooperation and respect for the safety of everyone involved in this exciting project for our school and community!

Sincerely,
Dennis Laumeyer
Benson Public Schools Superintendent

East Gym construction continues to progress.  Attached is a photo with the wood floor installed.  The next steps are to stain part of the floor and paint lines.  Bleachers will be set on May 28^th.  The East gym is scheduled to be ready for use on June 1^st. 

• Bid Package #1 was opened on May 16^th.  This bid package includes site preparation, excavation, and demolition at BHS.  Bids came in under budget so if there are no major surprises, we should stay on budget.  The plan is for the auditorium to be demolished this summer before school starts.
• The architects and engineers are working hard to finish drawings and specs for NS work.  The NS bid package is expected to be released in early June and bid opening mid-June.  We hope bids come in favorable.  Work is expected to start in July.  There will be some inconveniences at NS during construction.  The main front doors will not be usable due to construction and parking on the East side of NS will be used for construction equipment and materials.  Attached is a NS rendering.
• BHS bid package is expected to be released in August with work to begin in September.
• The 10,000 gallon fuel oil tank outside the BHS cafeteria was removed to be ready for site preparation and excavation for the auditorium. 

It is exciting to see all of the planning coming together and people getting to see exterior construction starting!  Thank you in advance for your patience during the construction process. Benson is going to have amazing spaces that everyone will be proud of. Thank you for all of the staff input on this process.