Pictured, from left, are Timothy Voigt, of Turner Construction Company; Eric Zeffiro and Shawn Wright, of Young & Wright Architectural; Joseph Pawelski, JPS Board of Education member; Dr. Kevin Whitaker, JPS Superintendent; Patrick Slagle, JPS Board of Education Vice President; Richard Krouse, of Young & Wright Architectural; and Mark Dowling, of Turner Construction Company.
P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky
As part of its $86.5 million capital improvements projects, Jamestown Public Schools held a Phase 1 groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday.
Standing in front of an excavator, school officials as well as representatives from Young & Wright Architectural and Turner Construction each dug their gold shovel into sand to symbolize the beginning of construction at the Raymond J. Fashano Technical Academy, 200 E. Fourth St.
Officials said the project focuses on three key areas:
¯ modernizing classrooms and student spaces
¯ enhancing safety, security and technology
¯ providing essential maintenance to protect the district’s investment.
“What we said to our community members is that we would be focused on is keeping kids warm, safe, and dry,” said JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker.
Whitaker said the project entails upgrading windows, sidewalks, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), and roofing.
At the Tech Academy, upgrades include modernization of classrooms, as well as work to the building’s plumbing, electrical and ventilation. At Jamestown High School, he said, Phase Two will include changes to the cafeteria as well as changes to classrooms.
“As many people recall, during COVID we had a heck of a time trying to get kids back (to JHS). Because the rooms are so small, we couldn’t fit, essentially, all the kids in the room(s) given the spacing requirements. Classrooms will be expanded to be much more modern size,” Whitaker said.
Phase One of the project, at a total cost of about $16.2 million, will focus on M.J. Fletcher Elementary School, the Tech Academy and the bus garage.
Eric Zeffiro, project coordinator of Young & Wright, said at the Tech Academy, all of the windows will be replaced because they were first installed in the 1980s.
“We are going to be adding a new secure entrance and we are going to be renovating a bunch of classrooms on the inside as well,” Zeffiro said.
At the bus garage, 1056 Allen St., Zeffiro said, because the floor is not draining properly, the concrete will be replaced. At M.J. Fletcher Elementary School, ceilings and roofing upgrades are beginning as well as plumbing and other mechanical. Zeffiro said some of the work began during spring break while most of the work will begin in the summer and extend into 2024.
As previously reported, Phase Two of the project, at a cost of about $41.7 million, will largely focus on Jamestown High School with construction scheduled to commence in the spring of 2024. Phase Three, at a cost of about $21.6 million, will focus on Persell Middle School, Lincoln Elementary School and CC Ring Elementary School. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026.
District residents approved the $86.5 million capital improvement project by a referendum vote in May 2021. State aid will cover 98% of the project’s cost while the district will use $1.2 million from its capital reserve fund and $1,070,000 in remaining state EXCEL aid from several years ago.
