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PARKERSBURG -- Dozens of summer construction and repair projects are nearly complete as Wood County Schools heads into the new school year.
Superintendent Will Hosaflook told the Wood County Board of Education projects have been completed or are ongoing at several dozen locations throughout the county, ranging from asbestos abatement to installing new roofs. The new school year begins Aug. 15.
"I'm pretty proud of this list," Hosaflook said. Maintenance staff and administrators "have done a tremendous job this summer fixing our schools, repairing our schools, adding to our schools."
Among the projects reviewed Tuesday:
* Asbestos abatement and new floor tile at Blennerhassett Elementary School, as well as new auditorium and stage lighting.
* Parking lot asphalt paving at Emerson Elementary School, as well as asbestos tile abatement in multiple rooms and removal of trees at the playground.
* Concrete repair at the front and rear of Lubeck Elementary School, as well as some asbestos tile abatement and replacement, repairs in the kitchen area and door replacements.
* Asbestos abatement at Mineral Wells Elementary, as well as upgraded electrical panels and gym lights.
* Roof replacement at Edison Middle School, new drop ceiling in corridor, and asbestos abatement and new tile in several rooms.
* Concrete repair in the front and back of Parkersburg High School, as well as a new boiler room roof, repairs to the north stairs and a new mantrap system is out to bid.
* Little Theater floor repairs at Parkersburg South High School, as well as an abated floor for auditorium entrance. A new roof for the school's octagon building is in progress and a mantrap has been put out to bid.
Assistant Superintendent Mike Fling said work continues on-schedule at the site of the new Williamstown-Waverly elementary school in Williamstown, as well as middle-school expansion at Williamstown High School. Interior renovations at the Wood County Technical Center in south Parkersburg are ongoing.
"It does look substantially different inside than it did a week ago," he said. "It will be substantially completed before the start of school, and there will be some areas where they'll be working after the start of school."
Work on new restrooms at Jackson Middle School was slightly delayed after crews discovered the water pipes feeding into the area were too small and had to be replaced, though Fling said he expects the delay to be minimal.
Hosaflook said he did not have a dollar amount on the overall projects, as they come from multiple funding sources, including the $41 bond call, the district's maintenance budget and dollars set aside for specific work, such as renovation of tracks and tennis courts. Officials estimate several millions of dollars of work have been completed this summer.
Michael Erb can be reached at merb@newsandsentinel.com.