Work on new school is happening

Work is going on -- most of it behind the scenes -- on the new school project.

Chief architect Laurence Rose said last week that his firm, Design West, from Pullman, is reviewing all of the information it has accumulated to lay the proper groundwork to finish drawings for the project.

Accordingly, he has called a meeting of the community planning group to get together this Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the district office in an effort to fine-tune the planning on the K-12 project.

The district is also planning a 6:30 p.m. community meeting at the Coulee Dam Community Church’s meeting room Thursday evening to bring local residents up to date on the project.

One of the first things planned is to review with Coulee Dam officials about what’s under the old Wright Elementary School building, so details of footings can be determined.

He said that his firm needs more detail added to the firm’s topography/boundary survey produced by Adams & Clark, Land Surveyors. Rose said surveyors will be in the area this Thursday to do this work.

He said demolition of Wright Elementary School will likely happen during the summer when school kids are out; and actual construction of classrooms will likely take place sometime early in 2013.

The work that has been done on the drawings, the schematic design, represents about 15 percent of what has to be done before the project can be bid.

Another lengthy phase is working with the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction on following procedures required in building a new school.

Both Rose and Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson indicated they plan to be in touch with the OSPI to review all the procedures that need to be followed in building a new school sometime next week.

Rose stated that during design development, his firm plans to have a public meeting so school patrons can keep up to date and offer suggestions before plans are completed.

He said that after construction documents are prepared, he plans to hold an additional two public meetings.

The school district has between $31 and $32 million already in its quest for the full $46 million needed to do everything in the plan.