For years, school officials have been pointing out the dangers of the science/vocational building on the Dolores High School campus.
The cinder block walls were not constructed properly and as a result, large cracks are starting to appear and the corners of the building are held together with steel plates. The roof is also failing and instructors inside the building regularly have to dry text books and put out buckets during rains.
Of the $6.09 million in projects, paid for by the $3.47 million 3C bond passed Tuesday and the $2.62 million BEST grant, the largest chunk of the money, $3.7 million, will go toward the construction of new science classrooms and vocational classrooms on the southeast corner of the campus. The current building will eventually be demolished and a parking lot will be constructed in its place.
Dolores School District Superintendent Scott Cooper said the district started taking action immediately once Measure 3C was approved.
The Dolores School District is already advertising for a owners representative, which will act as a general contractor of sorts.
Cooper said construction will start this summer with a targeted completion of Aug. 1, 2014.
But before construction can begin, the district has to work with design teams and hire construction crews.
Cooper said the school board is hoping to hire locally.
We hope it can be somebody qualified and local, he said.
I am so grateful for the communitys support. It took the whole community to pull together to get this and to get the BEST grant. Lets not forget that we get 43 percent of this paid for, Cooper said.