Construction crews have been hard at work six days a week this summer to make major improvements to aging Merced City School District facilities, thanks to voter-approved Measure M funds. We want to let you know about those upgrades and also keep you informed about the work that will continue this fall as students return to class. Please know that safety is our top priority, and every effort will be made to minimize the impact on students, parents, neighbors, and staff. We also ask that you please drive slowly and carefully around all of our schools to protect the safety of all students.
Below are updates on the three campuses that have had the most work underway over the summer break:
BURBANK:
One of the biggest additions to Burbank Elementary School is a spacious new parking lot with a student drop off/pick-up zone. It was thoughtfully designed to create safer access to the campus and relieve congestion along Alexander Avenue. The lot has one entrance and one exit to improve the flow of traffic. Cars will follow a counter-clockwise path and use one way lanes to the 49 new parking stalls, which are under new lighting. There is also a separate bus parking zone along the front of the school to help keep children out of harm’s way. This image shows those areas and where students will enter the campus:
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We’re also happy to share that three new basketball and volleyball courts are nearly complete, and students have new tetherball areas to enjoy. An efficient new irrigation system and landscaping have been added, including shade trees and drought-tolerant plants. Garbage dumpsters are now located behind a new block wall to enhance curb appeal. Another block wall is being constructed to enclose a new refrigerator/freezer/dry goods unit that has replaced the loud, outdated appliances housed in the cafeteria/multi-purpose room. This will not only help our nutrition services and custodial staff, but also make assemblies, performances, and lunch time more enjoyable.
CHENOWETH:
Rooms one through twelve at Chenoweth Elementary School have been completely remodeled with new air conditioning, lighting, ceilings, walls, and paint. We’ve also added new magnetic marker boards and modern projector systems to help make lessons more engaging.
Student restrooms in the primary grade area have been remodeled with new sinks, fixtures, plumbing, lighting, and new floor and walls tiles. The kindergarten play area is also ready for our children and has been equipped with a new drinking fountain as well. In order to improve safety, Chenoweth now has new surveillance cameras, along with upgraded fire alarm and security systems.
Other big projects are nearly complete:
The new parking lot and parent drop-off lane on Teak Avenue are both scheduled to open during the first week of October. Until then, buses will use the nearby Professional Development Center parking lot to minimize congestion. It is located to the northeast of our campus on Brookdale Drive. Staff members will help guide students in and out of the campus, but it is helpful to remind children who ride the bus that they will be getting on and off in a different area than usual for the first several weeks of school.
New playground equipment and two new basketball courts will be ready in September, and water efficient landscape and irrigation will also be added to the campus in the coming weeks. The modernization of six more classrooms (13-18) will take place next summer.
HOOVER:
One priority with the project at Hoover Middle School is the replacement of a 30 year old air conditioning system, which was loud and inefficient. Classrooms on the front wing of our school have been completely remodeled to utilize quiet new air conditioning units that provide a cool, comfortable environment for our students and staff. New projectors and large magnetic marker boards have also been added to those classrooms to support 21st century learning, and the electrical system has been upgraded to triple the amount of outlets and internet connections.
The main student restrooms on the second wing of the school have been remodeled with new sinks, fixtures, electric hand dryers, flooring and wall tiles. A new storm drain system, roofing, and rain gutters have been installed to address rain water that was deteriorating the old walkway canopies and causing flooding between classroom wings.
As this five phase project continues, lighting in all of the classrooms and walkways will be converted to bright, energy-efficient LED systems. Six additional classrooms will be remodeled by Thanksgiving, and five more are scheduled to be complete by the end of January. This will require some moving during the school year, but every effort is being made to minimize the impact on students. The greatest noise and heavy equipment work was done over the summer, and we expect the normal day-to-day school routine to continue without major disruptions. All of the work is on track to be finished by the fall of 2017.
If you have any questions, please contact the Merced City School District Facilities Department at 209-385-6332.
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