Construction at JFK School progresses

SPRING VALLEY A smile meets the face of Spring Valley Elementary School District Superintendent Jim Hermes, as he walks through the construction site of what will be the new building addition at John F. Kennedy School.

He watches an assortment of busy projects taking place within the constructed walls.

Whether it be workers laying bricks, cutting cement blocks, welding metal or sorting electrical wiring, he greets them as he walks by exploring the 77,000-square-foot addition.

A little more than 45 percent of construction has been completed to date. Construction kicked off in August and is expected to finish around July 2014.

While the project cost of the addition sits around $17 million, 75 percent of costs were covered by a state grant. The leftover 25 percent of costs will be covered by the district.

Anytime you get 75 percent of something paid for, you cant beat it, Hermes said.

The district has been paying for the project for about five years with issuance of $5.1 million in bonds.

We knew we wanted to do this project. We were just waiting on the states portion, Hermes said. Last year, we received notification that we had finally received the grant through the state.

The district was selected for the grant based off its high low income rate and the poor condition of Lincoln School, according to Hermes.

Each Tuesday, construction leaders and school officials pack into a small mobile on site trailer, as an overview and status update on each small project going on within the addition is given by Phil Heppard and Chris Rossman of Williams Brothers Construction Inc.

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Construction at JFK School progresses