Students heading back into Cedar Lane Elementary School in Middletown Aug. 30 won’t just be greeted by friendly teachers and administrators. This year, they’ll be welcomed by colorful new wall tiles, state-of-the-art equipment and even a rock wall.
The Appoquinimink School District recently completed a year’s worth of interior renovations in the school that have given it a whole new look.
“It was a complete wall-to-wall renovation,” said Bob Hershey, buildings and facilities supervisor for the district. “It really is like a new school.”
Hershey said major parts of the $12 million dollar project, which was approved in a 2006 referendum, were the heating, air conditioning and lighting systems. These systems are now computer-controlled, which will allow the district to reduce their energy costs.
The school also replaced the oil fire boilers with new gas boilers.
“This school was built in 1990 and the HVAC system was extremely antiquated here,” he said. “To see the size and the scope of the equipment we had used and then the updated equipment, the size is much smaller and the efficiencies are astronomical.”
Hershey said each classroom now features the latest educational technologies, such as Liquid Crystal Display projectors, wireless amplification systems, interactive whiteboards and Electronic Visual Evidence Presenters known as ELMOs. On top of that, a new computer lab was added, the nurse’s office and reception area were expanded and the library received new shelving and a remodeled look.
He said the construction was divided into three phases, which all went relatively smoothly. The fifth-grade students were moved to Alfred G. Waters Middle School last year to allow for more space.
“We’ve never had school and construction going on in the same facility at one time,” he said, “and it was seamless. The administration did an outstanding job as a liaison between the teachers’ concerns and the fact that they knew the building needed to get done at the same time.”
Hershey said he owes a lot of credit to the staff at ABHA Architects and EDiS Construction for their work on the project.
“These summer jobs are always a real nail biter because there’s a lot you need to do in a short time,” he said. “Everybody did a fantastic job.”
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Students heading back into Cedar Lane Elementary School in Middletown Aug. 30 won’t just be greeted by friendly teachers and administrators. This year, they’ll be welcomed by colorful new wall tiles, state-of-the-art equipment and even a rock wall.
The Appoquinimink School District recently completed a year’s worth of interior renovations in the school that have given it a whole new look.
“It was a complete wall-to-wall renovation,” said Bob Hershey, buildings and facilities supervisor for the district. “It really is like a new school.”
Hershey said major parts of the $12 million dollar project, which was approved in a 2006 referendum, were the heating, air conditioning and lighting systems. These systems are now computer-controlled, which will allow the district to reduce their energy costs.
The school also replaced the oil fire boilers with new gas boilers.
“This school was built in 1990 and the HVAC system was extremely antiquated here,” he said. “To see the size and the scope of the equipment we had used and then the updated equipment, the size is much smaller and the efficiencies are astronomical.”
Hershey said each classroom now features the latest educational technologies, such as Liquid Crystal Display projectors, wireless amplification systems, interactive whiteboards and Electronic Visual Evidence Presenters known as ELMOs. On top of that, a new computer lab was added, the nurse’s office and reception area were expanded and the library received new shelving and a remodeled look.
He said the construction was divided into three phases, which all went relatively smoothly. The fifth-grade students were moved to Alfred G. Waters Middle School last year to allow for more space.
“We’ve never had school and construction going on in the same facility at one time,” he said, “and it was seamless. The administration did an outstanding job as a liaison between the teachers’ concerns and the fact that they knew the building needed to get done at the same time.”
Hershey said he owes a lot of credit to the staff at ABHA Architects and EDiS Construction for their work on the project.
“These summer jobs are always a real nail biter because there’s a lot you need to do in a short time,” he said. “Everybody did a fantastic job.”
