Construction has begun for new Burrowes Elementary building
What happened: Workers have laid part of the foundation and started constructing walls for the new Burrowes Elementary School on the same property as the current building, making way to install electrical, mechanical and plumbing services, Connie King, an architect with Marotta/Main Architects, told board members.
Why it matters: Burrowes marks the first project in the district's $198.5 million Phase 4 construction plan, which also includes a new building for Price Elementary and renovations for Wheatland Middle School and Carter & , Hamilton and King elementary schools. All projects should be completed by 2028, King said.
: Board members approved a 1.75% real estate tax increase in June and previously announced a six-year ladder of bonds to pay for construction.
New design: Burrowes will have two student drop-off areas connected by an access road to reduce congestion on neighborhood streets, King said. A two-story L-shaped classroom building will have a main entrance on Ranck Avenue, while a second entrance behind the school will grant access to the campus's one-story gym, cafeteria and music areas, she said.
: Students and staff currently occupy the original school on the same property, built in 1954 and renovated in 1988.
: "We'll get a lot of that vehicular traffic off of (East) Orange Street and surrounding streets to help with congestion," King said.
: The new $26 million Burrowes building should be finished this summer. King said. Workers then will demolish the current elementary school, she said, making way for grassy fields.
Football and more: Upgrades planned for the J.P. McCaskey Stadium include enlarging the playing field so it matches the measurements of most high school football playing fields, King said. In addition, the number of track and field lanes will increase from six to eight, and workers will construct a storage building outside the stadium. The plan also calls for a new press box on the home side and additional restrooms in both stadium buildings.
: The district previously earmarked an additional $20 million on top of the Phase 4 construction program to upgrade athletics facilities at McCaskey and Wheatland Middle School.
: Personnel used the district's newly purchased portable metal detector for the first time to screen 1,804 ticket holders before the McCaskey football home opener Sept. 6, said Matt Shields, facilities director. Screenings took about three seconds per person and went smoothly with a few exceptions to be corrected, he told board members.
