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New Williamstown elementary school design phase almost completed

Photo by Michael Erb Williamstown Elementary School Principal Heather Mannix Bretthauer looks over floor plans and tile samples for the new Williamstown-area elementary school.

WILLIAMSTOWN — Officials say they are a step closer to breaking ground on a new elementary school in Williamstown.

The school is part of Wood County Schools $41 million facilities bond, which was passed by voters in November. The bond will pay for a new Williamstown-Waverly Elementary School, expansion of the existing Williamstown High School, construction at the Wood County Technical Center in south Parkersburg, and roof replacements on facilities throughout the district.

Williamstown Elementary School Principal Heather Mannix Bretthauer said architectural and engineering firm ZMM has already provided floor plans and event sample tiles and color schemes for the new school, which is scheduled to open in 2020.

“Right now we’re at the stage where we have to start picking out furniture,” Bretthauer said. “It’s amazing to see it all get to this point.”

Bretthauer said the inside of the school will be primarily maroon and gold, the school colors, but will also incorporate bright, vivid colors for different grade levels, such as greens and blues and yellows.

Photo by Michael Erb A draft floor plan shows the proposed layout of the new Williamstown-area elementary school. Officials say while ground has not yet been broken, the project is quickly progressing.

“Each classroom will have an accent color,” she said. “We’re trying to make the halls and classrooms brighter and a little more whimsical.”

Bretthauer said the library will feature a large tree design and lettering on the glass front. Students will have individual lockers, and the cafeteria and gymnasium have been greatly expanded, she said. The current school has a combined cafeteria/auditorium/gymnasium.

“The cafeteria (in the new school) will seat 400 students,” she said. “The gymnasium bleachers will seat all of our students, so they won’t have to sit on the floor.”

The school will have updated security, a “mantrap” which allows partial entry to the building, and a parent waiting area, she said. Some design details of the building and rooms are still being worked out and may change before the final design is brought to the Wood County Board of Education, she said.

Wood County Schools Assistant Superintendent Mike Fling, who oversees facilities for the district, said while residents might not be seeing all of the work being done, the project is actually progressing quickly.

“We’re moving right along,” he said. “We have a meeting next week with our food service director and the architect to lay out the kitchen. A survey of the property has been completed. Our plan is to go to bid in November and award in December or after the first of the year.”

The new school will sit on the site of the Fenton Art Glass gift shop and plant, which have not yet been demolished. The actual footprint of the new building will be in the parking lot areas across the street from the current Fenton building, and only one corner of the school will occupy space where the gift shop is located.

Fling said demolition is being handled by the Fenton company and was originally anticipated to begin this month, but now may not begin until October. Fling said because the school will primarily be built next to the gift shop and warehouse, officials can break ground on that site before demolition work is completed.

“We’d anticipated there would be a period of overlap where work on both structures would be happening side-by-side,” he said.

Fling said he hopes to have an updated timeline of construction from ZMM in the coming weeks.

One area not covered by the school bond is playgrounds, Bretthauer said. The estimated cost of the two playgrounds — state law requires a separate playground for pre-kindergarten students — is between $100,000-$150,000.

“We have to raise the money ourselves,” she said. “So we’re looking at two years of fundraising to get the money to build the playgrounds.”

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