Pandemic concerns slow Wood County Schools work
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PARKERSBURG -- With less than two weeks to go until the scheduled start of school, projects at multiple Wood County schools are missing materials because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
During Tuesday's Wood County Board of Education meeting, Assistant Superintendent Mike Fling attributed the issues to temporary shutdowns of companies that provide items like doors, glass, tile and counters for the new Williamstown Middle/High School science lab.
"They've kind of been hit by a 'COVID delay,'" Fling said on a recording of the meeting. "While they were shut down, all of their stock, that they had built up, was sold off. And now they're back in production, but however long they were out of production, they are that many weeks behind."
Despite the delays, all schools are still expected to open on time, district officials said.
Four new sixth-grade classrooms for Williamstown Middle/High, which is being renovated as part of a $41 million facilities bond project, are incomplete, Fling said.
"Doors and hardware were supposed to be there three weeks ago; (they) just arrived this week," he said.
Only half the amount of bathroom tile ordered was received, with the rest expected soon. The tile has to be laid before other work can be done.
"We're pushing the envelope," Fling said.
Two of the classrooms are nearly finished and Swope Construction is working to have them ready by Sept. 8, Fling said.
There is enough space for the sixth-graders moving to the middle/high school building, but a great deal of equipment and furniture that moved with them is still in the cafeteria because the new spaces aren't ready, he said. So Principal Jason Ward and the staff will have to adapt.
"But he will do it, because that's what Jason does," Fling said. "He meets the challenge and makes it work."
One board member said it's probably good that students will split time in buildings for at least the first three weeks of school, so that the additional work can be finished.
Plywood covers the openings on a new secure entrance at Jefferson Elementary Center in Parkersburg.
"We're waiting on glass and doors," Fling said
The windows are in at Emerson Elementary School's secure entrance but the door has yet to arrive.
Progress on the renovated Wood County Technical Center is evident from the outside, but "furniture's a problem," Fling said. "It's definitely a COVID delay kind of thing as well."
Fire, code and health department inspections need to be scheduled, but some of the remaining material must be in place first, he said.
The district's new alternative school, the Summit Success Center, in the former RESA 5 building on Ninth Avenue in Parkersburg, needs equipment to get its expanded electrical service up and running.
"Can't get the box. You can't get the breakers," Fling said.
The limited number of students expected to start the year there will temporarily be served at other facilities. Part of the building will be used by the Youth Reporting Center, which will continue to operate out of its location in the former Maplewood School in Vienna for the time being.
There are still punchlist items to complete at the new Williamstown-Waverly Elementary School, but it's ready to open now, Fling said.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.