Beginning this summer, Irvington High School will begin the demolition and reconstruction process for the new school. Funded by Measure M, the project is set for an estimated timeline of 18 months starting in June.
The construction fencing is set to go up on June 4th and will run from the front of the school down to the hallway outside room 104. Eighteen portables are being added to the blacktop to accommodate for the classes that are being displaced. The special education department is set to relocate near the office to give students more distance from the noise and disruption. Principal Mr.Hicks acknowledged that the changes around school “is going to lead to more congestion since it will be fenced off.” Sound blankets will line construction barriers to help with noise, and safety plans will be updated with new evacuation routes.
When it comes to construction costs, the rising prices of raw materials is not set to interfere with construction. Measure M budget accounts for inflation and “change orders,” which are unplanned issues that come up during construction like old pipes or bad wiring discovered in demolition.
Many departments are impacted heavily by the construction, in particular, the library will be heavily hit. The library currently can contain up to 300 students during a busy period, and due to the construction, the space will be relocated to room 102, which is the current book and staff room. Librarian Ms.Mcauley explains what this means for student resources as “only about 50% of our books and computers will make the move. This means we’re only going to be able to bring 32 computers.” Room 102 has no carpet, meaning sound throughout the library will echo. Ms.Macauley has also requested soundproofing boards and a secondary printing location on campus because the smaller room will not be able to handle the usual student demand.
Furthermore, the art department will also face some challenges, mostly surrounding sink access. Ms.Parker, who teaches AP art classes, is moving to Room 232, so she will still have multiple sinks. But other art teachers are moving into spaces where there is only 1 sink available. Activities like clay sculpture are being cut as a result. Photography classes will also be affected as the darkroom is being demolished, so it will be difficult for students to develop film.
While the portables will take up half the space on the blacktop, the PE department will remain relatively unchanged. The department still has access to the other half of the blacktop, track, field, big gym, small gym and weight room. Locker rooms will also remain mostly unchanged. PE teachers don’t expect any of the traditional units will be changed, and Mrs.Gribbin expects that “everything will go as is.”
Despite the challenges ahead, the construction will lead to a better campus in the future. For the next 18 months there will be a lot of adaptation, but Irvington will end up with a campus worth the trouble.
