by Neil Richard
I was recently granted the opportunity to take a tour of the ongoing construction at the King George Middle School. It's been 25 years since I walked the hallways of the building on a regular basis. My former teacher, Principal Jennifer Collins, and John Fartro, Construction Superintendent for Branch Builds, acted as my tour guide on a sunny but cold day.
As we walked around, I noticed the students and teachers seemed to have adapted well to the ongoing construction inside the building as well as the expansion work taking place outside. Collins and her staff have taken things in stride and embraced a "#underconstruction" motto. Throughout the tour it was obvious that Fartro and Collins met on a regular basis and both were easily adaptable to each others' needs. Teachers would move to a different room to make way for workers to complete a task or workers would park somewhere else to make room for parents. It was clear that everyone worked well together and was focused on the end result, a newly expanded middle school.
The tour began in the Office. While the layout is different now than way back in my day, it will eventually become an area for Career Technical Education (CTE) with the Nurse's Office becoming a computer lab. Most of the existing classrooms will have little to no work done. A handful will get new walls or expanded to be larger but generally speaking no major work is being done in the existing classes.
Fartro noted that all of the ceiling tiles and rails will come down in order to install a fire suppression system. The tiles were already missing in some areas and it was neat to see all of the inner workings in the ceiling, something that was always hidden to students until now. When asked about asbestos or lead abatement, he said the asbestos was already taken care of several years ago. Although, he said, there was still a boiler outside that needed to be addressed but it wouldn't happen until construction reached that section of the school.
The areas in the existing structure that get the biggest makeover are the current cafeteria, former outdoor eating area, and the foreign language hallway. The foreign language hallway gets straightened out a little and bathrooms added to the backside for use by those in the new expansion. The current cafeteria will become classrooms as will the former outdoor eating area. I assume that's what those dual covered walkways just outside of the cafeteria were originally designed for because I don't remember anyone really using them back then. The new expansion in this area will also include a new chorus room and about ten classrooms.
As we cut through the gym, we discussed the hallway that would span from one side of the building to the other, cutting between the auditorium and gym. The gym and auditorium would remain largely untouched however the auditorium would add an ADA compliant wheelchair lift onto the stage and the gym already had larger chiller lines installed for the HVAC system.
As we stepped into the expansion zone, it was clear that the workers were working hard. There was a two month delay in starting the project and several weather delays that put the project about two and a half months behind schedule, however the expected final completion is October 2020. Major completion is expected to be done by the end of 2019 with the hope that the new cafeteria will be operational by September. The cafeteria was one of the main hurdles as they needed it to be functional before they can begin construction on the existing cafeteria. It will be a challenge to coordinate everything but it felt like everyone would be able to make it happen. If everyone did their math correctly, current fourth grade students should be the first students to use the new wing of the middle school.
As we walked around the new wing, everything was bare cinder block and metal studs and steel framing. I never saw a worker standing around, they were always moving or doing something. Safety was a priority as well. Not only did we wear eye protection, head protection, and a safety vest, but I could see the high lifts had fire extinguishers and danger zones with falling debris were clearly marked. Part of the contract with the builder also stipulates that workers get a background check as well. Fartro expanded on that by saying each worker gets a number on their hardhat every morning and if any student or employee has an issue with a worker, they simply need to report the number. Collins said they haven't had any issues. Being somewhat familiar with construction crews and their habits, I asked about smoking. Fartro said there were some issues to start with but things smoothed out and they have a designated smoking area by the construction office for workers to use.
During the tour, I asked a few random questions that I gathered from parents and students. I asked Collins if she knew what the plans would be for the grand opening ceremony, when the project was complete, but she wasn't sure just yet. She did say the plaque would be supplied to the school but she wasn't sure if the existing one would be moved or remain in place. I asked Fartro about the windows in the existing cafeteria that look out to the block wall. He said the windows would eventually be blocked in. The secondary gym, or auxiliary gym, would be just a gym with no stands or seats. Collins was excited about the view her new office would have but seemed more excited about the new library that would be upstairs in the expansion. When I asked Fartro about the work crew, he said the number on site would range from two to sixty, depending on weather and what was being done. During our tour, he said there were about 30 on site. I asked if there were any local residents working on the site and he said many on the crew were not only local residents but many also had gone to school in the building. Fartro said that some crews came from outside the area, such as the steel workers that came from Texas.
When we finished the tour, I was impressed by the level of cooperation, the attention to detail, and the amount of progress. Even though it's been the wettest year in decades, the crew has been working hard to make up for lost time. As with any major construction project, the details matter and it showed that plans were made early on for several aspects of school life. And it was great to see two different leaders be so open in expressing their needs. The only downside to my tour was how old I felt when I walked outside. I'm sure those that graduated from the old King George High School felt the same way when this building was built.
*The original plaque reads:
 |
| The original plaque* for the King George High School has a new one above it. |
 |
| Floor plan of the lower level. |
As we walked around, I noticed the students and teachers seemed to have adapted well to the ongoing construction inside the building as well as the expansion work taking place outside. Collins and her staff have taken things in stride and embraced a "#underconstruction" motto. Throughout the tour it was obvious that Fartro and Collins met on a regular basis and both were easily adaptable to each others' needs. Teachers would move to a different room to make way for workers to complete a task or workers would park somewhere else to make room for parents. It was clear that everyone worked well together and was focused on the end result, a newly expanded middle school.
 |
| Closer view of the expansion area. |
The tour began in the Office. While the layout is different now than way back in my day, it will eventually become an area for Career Technical Education (CTE) with the Nurse's Office becoming a computer lab. Most of the existing classrooms will have little to no work done. A handful will get new walls or expanded to be larger but generally speaking no major work is being done in the existing classes.
 |
| Upstairs in the new wing. |
Fartro noted that all of the ceiling tiles and rails will come down in order to install a fire suppression system. The tiles were already missing in some areas and it was neat to see all of the inner workings in the ceiling, something that was always hidden to students until now. When asked about asbestos or lead abatement, he said the asbestos was already taken care of several years ago. Although, he said, there was still a boiler outside that needed to be addressed but it wouldn't happen until construction reached that section of the school.
 |
| The existing cafeteria is on the right. New classrooms and Chorus room will be on the left. |
The areas in the existing structure that get the biggest makeover are the current cafeteria, former outdoor eating area, and the foreign language hallway. The foreign language hallway gets straightened out a little and bathrooms added to the backside for use by those in the new expansion. The current cafeteria will become classrooms as will the former outdoor eating area. I assume that's what those dual covered walkways just outside of the cafeteria were originally designed for because I don't remember anyone really using them back then. The new expansion in this area will also include a new chorus room and about ten classrooms.
 |
| Concessions stand will be incorporated into the expansion as well as bathrooms. |
As we cut through the gym, we discussed the hallway that would span from one side of the building to the other, cutting between the auditorium and gym. The gym and auditorium would remain largely untouched however the auditorium would add an ADA compliant wheelchair lift onto the stage and the gym already had larger chiller lines installed for the HVAC system.
 |
| Serving area for the new cafeteria. |
As we stepped into the expansion zone, it was clear that the workers were working hard. There was a two month delay in starting the project and several weather delays that put the project about two and a half months behind schedule, however the expected final completion is October 2020. Major completion is expected to be done by the end of 2019 with the hope that the new cafeteria will be operational by September. The cafeteria was one of the main hurdles as they needed it to be functional before they can begin construction on the existing cafeteria. It will be a challenge to coordinate everything but it felt like everyone would be able to make it happen. If everyone did their math correctly, current fourth grade students should be the first students to use the new wing of the middle school.
 |
| View outside from the side entrance. A parking lot and fields will be between the expansion and the existing baseball field. |
As we walked around the new wing, everything was bare cinder block and metal studs and steel framing. I never saw a worker standing around, they were always moving or doing something. Safety was a priority as well. Not only did we wear eye protection, head protection, and a safety vest, but I could see the high lifts had fire extinguishers and danger zones with falling debris were clearly marked. Part of the contract with the builder also stipulates that workers get a background check as well. Fartro expanded on that by saying each worker gets a number on their hardhat every morning and if any student or employee has an issue with a worker, they simply need to report the number. Collins said they haven't had any issues. Being somewhat familiar with construction crews and their habits, I asked about smoking. Fartro said there were some issues to start with but things smoothed out and they have a designated smoking area by the construction office for workers to use.
 |
| Principal Jennifer Collins standing in her new office. |
During the tour, I asked a few random questions that I gathered from parents and students. I asked Collins if she knew what the plans would be for the grand opening ceremony, when the project was complete, but she wasn't sure just yet. She did say the plaque would be supplied to the school but she wasn't sure if the existing one would be moved or remain in place. I asked Fartro about the windows in the existing cafeteria that look out to the block wall. He said the windows would eventually be blocked in. The secondary gym, or auxiliary gym, would be just a gym with no stands or seats. Collins was excited about the view her new office would have but seemed more excited about the new library that would be upstairs in the expansion. When I asked Fartro about the work crew, he said the number on site would range from two to sixty, depending on weather and what was being done. During our tour, he said there were about 30 on site. I asked if there were any local residents working on the site and he said many on the crew were not only local residents but many also had gone to school in the building. Fartro said that some crews came from outside the area, such as the steel workers that came from Texas.
 |
| Panoramic view showing the view from the new library. |
When we finished the tour, I was impressed by the level of cooperation, the attention to detail, and the amount of progress. Even though it's been the wettest year in decades, the crew has been working hard to make up for lost time. As with any major construction project, the details matter and it showed that plans were made early on for several aspects of school life. And it was great to see two different leaders be so open in expressing their needs. The only downside to my tour was how old I felt when I walked outside. I'm sure those that graduated from the old King George High School felt the same way when this building was built.
*The original plaque reads:
King George High School
1968
Dedicated to
1968
Dedicated to
the youth of King George County
School Board of King George County
Stuart A. Ashton, Chairman
Elmer R. Morris, Jr.
Wayland A. Clarke, Jr.
Lawrence W. Roller, Superintendent and Clerk
Board of Supervisors
R. Webster Allensworth, Chairman
Woodrow W. Saft
Ashby B. Strother
V. Elwood Mason, Clerk
Architect
Mintz and Easter, A.I.A., Springfield, Virginia
Contractor
Sherman Construction Corporation, McLean, Virginia
Construction Supervisor
William F. Stevens
School Board of King George County
Stuart A. Ashton, Chairman
Elmer R. Morris, Jr.
Wayland A. Clarke, Jr.
Lawrence W. Roller, Superintendent and Clerk
Board of Supervisors
R. Webster Allensworth, Chairman
Woodrow W. Saft
Ashby B. Strother
V. Elwood Mason, Clerk
Architect
Mintz and Easter, A.I.A., Springfield, Virginia
Contractor
Sherman Construction Corporation, McLean, Virginia
Construction Supervisor
William F. Stevens
Thank You for giving us the non-partisan reporting. You are an awesome reporter to the citizens of King George County. Thank you for your service! --Robb
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
DeleteThe Original Plaque needs to be preserved in the new building. And I see no mention of the band room, where does it fit in the new plan?
ReplyDeleteThe Band and Music rooms look like they won't be touched. There will be a new Chorus room though. The existing Band and Music rooms will be just below the new Auxiliary Gym in the drawings. Thanks for reading!
Delete