Busy Construction Season Ahead for Ohio County Schools
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WHEELING -- School is out, and construction crews are in as Ohio County Schools seeks to complete many improvement projects at school facilities this summer.
Most of the projects are expected to be finished by the start of the new school year, while work at Elm Grove won't be done until August 2024, according to David Crumm, director of operations for Ohio County Schools.
Elm Grove Elementary is adding an L-shaped addition on the left-hand side of the building. The addition will entail construction of a 7,800 square-foot one-story building, and will contain eight new classrooms.
The school is also getting a new cooler for its kitchen area, as well as a new gym floor, security vestibule, fire panel, and security cameras, Crumm said.
Colaianni Construction of Dillonvale is doing the work for $4,806,000.
Among the construction projects finishing up this summer will be those at The Warwood School, Woodsdale Elementary, Wheeling Middle School, and Middle Creek Elementary School, as well as finishing touches at Wheeling Park High School, he explained.
Interior work is happening at Middle Creek Elementary, including wall construction and floor placement. A road is being built behind the school so buses can drop off and pick up students in back.
Middle Creek is also getting a new gym floor. There will be asbestos abatement in the facility, and the construction of a security vestibule. Security cameras will be installed, as will a fire panel, according to Crumm.
The $1,736,700 project is being completed by the Waller Corporation of Washington, Pennsylvania.
Both Middle Creek and Elm Grove elementaries also will have new fencing before the start of school, he said.
The Warwood School is getting a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, as well upgrades to its front entrance and doors.
At Woodsdale Elementary, workers are painting the gym and putting down a new gym floor, Crumm said. The building is also getting a new HVAC system.
Wheeling Middle School is slated for a new elevator, as well as an HVAC system, paint, flooring, and the establishment of a security vestibule.
Remaining work at Wheeling Park High School includes the asphalting of the road leading behind the school, as well as the one going to the track area and the back parking lot. New parking lines will be painted in both the front and back lots.
"Inside, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) work is ongoing," Crumm continued. "It should be completed by the start of the school year. We're getting there, but there's a lot of work still going on."
Ohio County voters in 2018 passed a $42.2 million bond issue to begin renovations on all 13 facilities in Ohio County Schools. The West Virginia School Building Authority contributed another $27 million to the project, and expected energy savings were factored in at another $7 million.
Since then, the original $76 million project was expanded to include $12.2 million received by Ohio County Schools through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.
"While the goal is to have everything finished up by next summer, it really depends on the delivery of items," Crumm said. "Everything isn't always readily available all the time."