Indianola CSD Facilities Upgrades
It has been busy and exciting as Indianola CSD has begun a new school year! Irving Elementary’s eight-week indoor project had a compressed work schedule that was approved as substantially complete August 4 (meaning the building had passed inspections and was finished enough to be used). This was just in time for year-round school to begin August 6. Much of the Irving project is outside site work, which is running ahead of schedule. Prior to November we are expecting exterior work to be complete. The students will have a new playground area, and there will be improved traffic flow and parking at the school. The interior finishes and building security are already greatly improved.
Whittier Elementary is a phased project that will run through December. Phase 1 was approved as substantially complete on August 15, clearing the way to use the building for the start of school August 18. The ICSD maintenance, custodial, and food service staff went above and beyond to get furnishings back in the building on time; and district teachers are showing great flexibility, too. When the project is complete, Whittier will essentially look and feel like a brand new school.
The district appreciates the voters’ support of this and other work in the district. District staff collaborates with the architect and construction manager to ensure a quality, timely, on-budget result in every way possible. A contingency fund of 5% was set aside for the Irving and Whittier projects. To date, changes have been about 3.5% at Irving and 2.3% at Whittier, where more work remains. Industry standard for jobs containing heavy remodel is typically 8% of the construction budget.
As we work to complete the Irving and Whittier projects, planning is underway for Emerson Elementary, the stadium near Indianola Middle School, and Indianola High School (At the same time we have introduced a Digital Learning Environment at the high school that ensures access to technology and encourages technology integration in teaching and learning). The students, staff, and community are going to be very proud of the district facilities when this work is complete. Next to quality instruction and curriculum, the learning environment has the largest impact on student learning. It is great to serve a community and school district that have made the educational experiences of students a top priority!