As the district continues to move forward with the plans for the voter-approved Building Our 2nd Century II Capital Project, we want to keep the community informed of the details and how renovation work could impact the schools where construction is taking place.
There will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m. in the MS Library to discuss the upcoming work to begin in April 2020 at the middle school. [LIVE STREAM] School leaders, architects, and construction managers will outline the plans for the school and the impact or changes that will occur during construction, as well as answer questions related to the project. While a bulk of the work to be completed at O’Rourke will occur during the summer months, the spaces to be renovated and relocated need to be prepared before school lets out in order to stay on schedule. The anticipated completion date for work at the middle school is late fall 2020.
The next portion of the ongoing Building Our 2nd Century project, Phase 6, includes renovation as O’Rourke Middle School. As outlined in the proposal, the middle school is slated to undergo safety & security improvements and classroom upgrades.
Safety & Security Improvements
Within the past several years, there have been many changes to BH-BL schools’ physical safety and security features, such as the addition of secure vestibules, entryway cameras, swipe card entry systems, door alarms, and electronic door locks. However, the current physical layout of the middle school entrance doesn’t allow for a proper secure entry vestibule like the other four BH-BL schools. Therefore, this plan will include:
- Constructing a new main entrance and lobby with a secure vestibule and upgraded locking system.
- Relocating the existing main office and guidance, social worker, nurse, and psychologist offices to renovated space closer to the new main entrance.
- Renovating existing space for a conference room for parent meetings.
Classroom Improvements
- Relocating the makeshift special education rooms (currently in the space that will become the new entrance) to renovated and upgraded classrooms in the sixth-grade hallway.
- Renovating the current main office space into 21st-century classrooms with improved lighting; flexible work space; and upgraded infrastructure/wiring to support modern-day teaching and learning technology.
- Renovating and updating the existing technology classrooms (i.e., metal and wood shops) that are the original rooms from 1960.