By Becky Tang and Tashikaa Senthilkumar, Staff Reporters
The new construction building at Conestoga High School has taken shape over the last few months, and a rough structure is already present. With a projected record-high number of students exceeding the school’s limit attending Conestoga High School by 2024, construction for a new building was approved in January of 2019. Though there was a delay in materials due to COVID-19 and hurricanes and wildfires in Texas and California (respectively), in October of 2020, most supplies have been delivered safely in December and the team is catching up on the expected progress.
As the deadline in August of 2021 closes in, more construction must be completed on a tighter schedule. Dr. Patrick Boyle, assistant principal of the senior class and faculty member overseeing construction, pointed out that most of the project is finished and is starting to look more like the final product.
“The anticipation towards completion is building up now more and more, because you actually can see the physical structure now for each day and see what it’s beginning to look like in the framework,” Boyle said.
With the introduction of steel beams and frames, the roof for the overarching structure is now present, supporting the primary flooring of the second level. The framework for translucent skylights is also secured along with the roof.
The firewall separating the old and new building is also close to being completed. Once finished, the new building will be self-contained, meaning that outdoor elements will no longer interfere with construction progress.
As progress continues in the new building, utilities are activated, requiring the use of tunnels under the new addition that have been there since October. Right now, the construction team is working to plan the renovation of additional classrooms inside the existing high school building as well.
Though it seems like the construction team has a relatively long time until the expansion project’s final due date, Boyle expresses his concern about the amount of work that has to be covered.
“If you think about it, we have eight months for it to be completed. It sounds like a lot of time, but it’s really not in the grand scheme of things,” Boyle said. “So it’s going to go fast, we just want to see it all as completed and occupied as possible.”
Despite being an estimated 20 days behind schedule for completion due to snow days and a setback in gathering equipment, the project continues to press onwards with the anticipation of Boyle and other faculty members and is projected to be finished by Aug. 15, 2021.
“I take walks around the building two, three times a day just to go back and look and see what progress they’re making and seeing what the new things are going in,” Boyle said. “It’s awesome to watch it get completed.”
