Rochester Community Schools Bond Project Update
Six Rochester Community School District summer bond construction projects are wrapping up in time for students to return to school on September 5.
Summer construction projects benefit Baldwin, Hamlin, Hugger, and Musson Elementary Schools, Rochester High School, and West Middle School. Construction at Adams High School is also underway, and the district is looking to break ground in September for the ACE, Adult Special Education, and Adult Center for Education building.
Dr. Shaner enters through the new Performing Arts wing at Rochester High School
“The pace at which our contractors have been working is truly remarkable. While the projects vary in size and scope, each construction project on its own would be a sizable task to complete in the short weeks of summer, but we are working on seven at one time. We are fortunate to have such skilled professionals on our team who are dedicated to keeping the projects on schedule and true to the district’s mission,” said Superintendent Robert Shaner, Ph.D.
In November 2015, the greater Rochester community overwhelmingly voted to approve a $185 million bond proposal and invest in the educational future of its students.
To date, $46 million dollars has been awarded for construction efforts. One hundred and seventy-one contractors employed 1460 employees who worked nearly 200,000 hours on the construction projects. Nearly 8,000 tons of concrete was poured, 3,500 tons of which was provided to Rochester High School alone. The district utilized 204.8 tons of steel and laid approximately 943,255 linear feet of cabling and wire.
Entrances have been secured at North Hill, Long Meadow, Meadow Brook, McGregor, Reuther, Hart, Van Hoosen, Stoney Creek High School, and the Administration building. The old Brooklands building has been removed, and the Stoney Creek and Hart tracks were improved.
The media center at West Middle School provides an updated learning environment for students with enhanced technology and flexible seating
Bond resources also focus on providing state-of-the-art technology. “We have designed and implemented a robust wired and wireless network and completed many infrastructure updates across the district. Efforts are now focused on updating devices and classroom and media center technology,” said Director of Technology and Strategic Initiatives Cindy Lindner.
The district has currently provided 1,300 computers to teachers and administrators district-wide; installed clocks and 250 Interactive Flat Panel (IFP) SMART boards at Rochester High, West, Baldwin, Hamlin, Hugger, and Musson, and 60 IFPs in all other buildings; provided 36 mobile labs districtwide; installed 2,000 phones and 600 surveillance cameras district-wide. PA systems will be installed across the district by December 2017.
“But this is only the beginning. The bond projects will span over a five-year period of time; we are currently entering year two. This means the work needed to help fulfill our community’s legacy for the future is still in its early stages,” said Shaner.
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