Efforts to improve Shawano Community High School are going to be kicking into high gear in May, as some of the projects are coming to completion while much of the work will begin in earnest now that winter has ended.
The weight room and expanded fitness area filling the space formerly occupied by Shawano School District offices have been under construction during the spring due to most of the work taking place inside. Superintendent Kurt Krizan said that area is close to being finished.
“They’re looking at putting the flooring in at the end of this week,” Krizan said during an April 28 interview.
Flooring for the new family and consumer science classrooms has already been completed, he said, with cabinetry and appliances being the next order of business for that area. The technical education expansion is also moving along, with completion expected in June. The expanded areas for the theater and music classrooms not far behind, he said.
“The idea is to get those completed by the end of the school year so that our teachers can move into some of those spots so we can start remodeling some of those other spots,” Krizan said.
Parking for graduation May 15 will be different, as half the parking area near Martzke Park has been dug up for work on the athletic stadium to be used for football, soccer and track. Krizan said the current plan is to have existing parking available for families, while students will park at Shawano Community Middle School and be bussed to the high school and back again.
Work is expected to commence on the new entrance to the school, with access from County Road B to be between the Union and Evergreen streets. New striping is already set down on County B, and work is hoped to be completed once school ends in May.
As for the crown jewel, the renovated stadium, there have been some hiccups due to the weather, according to Krizan.
The stadium is still on track to be completed by August to be ready for the new football season, Krizan said. The new scoreboard recently went up, while new bleachers and the concession area are expected to be upcoming with the concrete footings in place.
While most of the work from the $51.2 million referendum is focused on SCHS this summer, there are some more projects taking place at other schools.
Krizan said new playground equipment is being put in place at Hillcrest Primary School, while mechanical work is slated for Olga Brener Intermediate School. Both schools’ work will take place after summer school ends in July.
Krizan said the work is expected to be completed on time and within budget. He noted that the extremely cold days in January allowed work crews to shift from outdoor work to completing some interior projects.
“It’s taken a little bit longer than expected with some of the brick work, but that was more due to lack of labor rather than materials or weather,” Krizan said. “I think they’ve been able to work around it.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
The new scoreboard for the Shawano Community High School stadium is already installed as other work is underway and expected to be completed by August, when football and soccer both start a new season. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
Work is progressing on additional space for the performing arts programs at Shawano Community High School, including music and theater. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
Striping has been updated on County Road B outside Shawano Community High School as a new entrance is being constructed between Evergreen and Union streets. (Lee Pulaski | NEW Media)
