Board members for Glasgow Independent Schools get an update on the construction currently underway at South Green Elementary. Photo by Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The Glasgow Board of Education met at their central office, located off S. L. Rogers Wells Blvd., to listen to progress of the construction of South Green Elementary.
The meeting lasted 15 minutes with three of the five members present. Members Barret Lessenberry and William Thornbury were absent, nonetheless a quorum was present that adopted the agenda with unanimous approval.
Roughly 13 minutes of the meeting was devoted to members of Alliance Corporation, the company in charge of construction, presenting images to the board of the school’s progress. The presentation was primarily focused on the interior work such as plumbing, electrical and ductwork.
One unique addition is the ability for students to charge their Chromebooks inside their personal cubbies. According to Alliance, this is the first time the company implemented this in their buildings.
Chad Muhlenkamp, superintendent of Glasgow Independent Schools, said this was requested to streamline students’ Chromebook experience.
“What we learned during COVID was we had to break down very quickly and it was such an ordeal trying to get the cart torn down and all the charging cords out and everything,” Muhlenkamp said. “The issue is charging and trying to store them so, I don’t know if we got a patent on this yet, but we all sat down and brainstormed ideas on how to remedy that…, and this is what we did.”
Tommy Gumm, board chair of Alliance, said they would likely begin installing the cooling system over the coming weeks. Unfortunately, Gumm said, one bit of bad news was that all the switchgears have not arrived and likely would not until the end of the month. Thankfully, Gumm said, it was some smaller switchgears and that the HVAC installation could still continue.
Despite this, Gumm said, they are still on track to be finished as scheduled.
“I think we’re in pretty good shape,” he said. “We’re still shooting to hopefully start punching out in October.”
Gumm also said he would be sending a cleaning crew into the existing building, much to the ease of mind of Muhlenkamp.
“To think we’re going to be welcoming students in there has made me a little nervous,” Muhlenkamp said. He hoped to give teachers and children a “simple translation” between the new building and the existing where teachers can slowly move into their new classrooms.
Preschool is scheduled to move into the existing building, but that would not happen until August, Muhlenkamp said.
Also on the agenda was the approval of change orders 13,14 and 15. Orders 13 and 14 involved adding soffits to hide some beams and make it “look cleaner.” Order 15 concerned a price estimate, requested by Muhlenkamp, of running electrical and internet cables to a future electronic sign.
“We’re trying to think long term versus short,” Muhlenkamp said.
All other agenda items were approved unanimously. According to Gumm, at the next meeting board members would walk through the building to see firsthand the progress.
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