Bill Ryan/The Gazette Renovation construction continues at Lincoln Elementary School in Frederick on Tuesday.

• 
• 
Bill Ryan/The Gazette Renovation construction continues at Lincoln Elementary School in Frederick on Tuesday.

Bill Ryan/The Gazette Renovation construction continues at Lincoln Elementary School in Frederick on Tuesday.

 

<< Prev

Next >>

More News

O’Malley announces gaming work group

Prince George’s police seek suspect in bank robbery botched after teller walks away

Gas prices continue slow descent

Symposium looks at effective use of water

State NAACP head: Blacks will remain divided on same-sex marriage

As Frederick County teachers and students relish in the joys of summer break, construction and maintenance work at 48 public schools is just heating up.

For the next two months, the sounds of students scuffling through the halls, chatting it up in the lunch room and shooting hoops on the gym floor, will be replaced by the banging of hammers and the sawing of wood.

Frederick County Public Schools’ released its lengthy list of summer projects they plan to complete before students return back to school on Aug. 29.

“Most of this is part of the normal maintenance,” said Ray Barnes, executive director of Frederick County Public Schools Facilities Services Division. “Our goal is to have as many of these as possible completed before classes resume. The ones we don’t finish [when schools open], we’ll try to finish during off hours, or we’ll save until next year.”

Over the next two months, work will be going on at Ballenger Creek Elementary and Middle schools; Brunswick Elementary, Middle and High schools; the Career & Technology Center; Carroll Manor Elementary; Catoctin High; Emmitsburg Elementary; Frederick High; Glade Elementary; Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle and High schools; Green Valley Elementary; Heather Ridge; Hillcrest Elementary; Kemptown Elementary; Lewistown Elementary; Liberty Elementary; Middletown Primary, Elementary, Middle and High schools; Monocacy Elementary; Myersville Elementary; New Market Middle; New Midway Elementary; Oakdale Elementary and Middle schools; Orchard Grove Elementary; Parkway Elementary; Rock Creek School; Sabillasville Elementary; Spring Ridge Elementary; Thurmont Primary and Middle schools; Tuscarora Elementary and High schools; Twin Ridge Elementary; Valley Elementary; Walkersville “B” building; Walkersville Elementary, Middle and High schools; Waverly Elementary; Whittier Elementary; and Woodsboro Elementary.

On top of this, renovation work will continue over the summer to Lincoln Elementary School.

The largest maintenance project is the replacement of air conditioning units on the roof of Spring Ridge Elementary School in Frederick, at a cost of $157,000, said Bob Wilkinson, director of maintenance and operations.

“We need to replace them, because they have worn out,” he said. “The new ones will be much more energy efficient.”

Spring Ridge opened to students and teachers in 1991.

Minor air conditioning work will also be going on at several other schools, along with door replacements, paving and concrete work, floor repairs, kitchen work, roof, sidewalk and window replacements, sprinkler work, outside drainage improvements, lighting and technology upgrades.

Money to pay for these projects comes primarily from his department’s $23 million maintenance operating budget for fiscal 2012, Barnes said.

Deciding what schools make the maintenance list is not a simple process.

Barnes said his department sits down and puts together a list of the schools that need certain types of maintenance work. This is work that typically needs to be done when students and teachers are not in school. The list of projects is also sent to each school principal for their input.

“Safety needs are considered first,” Wilkinson said, of completing the work when the buildings are empty. “Safety is our primary concern.”

Wilkinson said making the schools more energy efficient in the areas of lighting and plumbing work is also a priority.

“The older schools [also] need day-to-day regular maintenance,” Barnes said. “It’s the on-going aches and pains. We try to address these as soon as possible. During the summer, when staff is not in the schools, we move from school to school and address the other projects.”

This is not an easy task. Frederick County operates 63 schools, in more than six million square feet of space, on 1,400 acres of property.

“Frederick County Public Schools operates the largest collection of buildings and square footage in the county,” Barnes said. “It’s a big job to keep up with all this stuff. There are more needs than funding resources. It’s a big job to prioritize the needs and wants.”

For more information about specific projects at each school, call the Frederick County Public Schools Facilities Services Division at 301-644-5025.

sgreenfield@gazette.net