The Eastern Hancock Elementary school library renovation project will have a large common area where dozens of kids can gather for grade-level learning.
CHARLOTTESVILLE — The Eastern Hancock Elementary school library is about to get a complete makeover estimated to cost around $650,000.
Back in July, the district’s school board took some financial steps to push the project further by approving the project resolution, approving the preliminary bond resolution related to the project, and approving the reimbursement resolution.
The approval of the project then officially went through in August when the district received bids for library renovation project and quotes came in lower than expected.
“We were really excited when we got those bids because you’re always afraid it’s going to come back too high,” director of business and operations for Eastern Hancock Schools Adam Kinder said. “But, really I think the timing of the work where we’re not trying to jam it into a summer, and we’re giving some contractors some winter work during the school year was a big, big benefit for us.”
If all continues to go well, district officials say they plan to start working on the project within the next six weeks.
“Between Fall break and Christmas break really is kind of our start goal on this really,” Kinder said. “The project is a 140 day timeline, but right now it’s under state review so we don’t have the final plans back just yet.”
However, Kinder noted they expect state officials to give the district their blessings on the project so they can get rolling on the construction as soon as they can.
“All we know right now is from the day they start to the day they finish the contractors are estimating that 140 days,” Kinder said. “We’re going to hold them to that timeline.”
It means the nearly five-month project should wrap sometime in the spring, but well before the school year ends.
District officials are in the process of selling bonds in order to pay for the much-needed work inside the elementary school. Kinder noted that, due to so many needs, it was time to look at the elementary school library and figure out a way for the area to work better for everyone.
“For example, we have a lot of office needs,” Kinder said. “We have a lot of services and we need more office space, so I believe we’re adding 10 to 12 new office spaces in that area.”
The offices spaces will be utilized by two speech teachers, a pre-school teacher, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist and their school psychologist.
“We have a lot of special education needs, so we’re kind of putting those teachers all together where as right now everyone is kind of spread out and really the majority of our special education happens at the elementary,” Kinder said.
The renovations also call for a brand new conference room and a large common learning area that will provide seating for at least 100 kids.
“It means we can bring a whole grade level together at one time and do grade-level work,” Kinder said. “We have library teams who come into the area every day, and it’s going to be a better learning environment for them.”
