OISD to start bond project in February

Construction is set to begin in February on the $8.3 million school storm shelters project approved by voters earlier this year, the Olney Independent School Board Board of Trustees learned at a Nov. 21 meeting.

The bonds will pay for a storm shelter and seven new classrooms at Olney Junior High School and a secure corridor between the high school and the Career and Technology Education Center, as well as renovations to the elementary school and the existing shelter at the daycare.

The board heard an update on the project from chief architect Chip Whitlock of Parkhill Smith & Cooper, and reviewed exterior schematic drawings and interior design elements such as restroom and wall tiles and carpets.

A large glass window at the junior high school will feature bullet-resistant glass.

The new structure connecting the high school and the CTE building will meet ICC 500 standards – which protect people from high winds, hurricanes, tornadoes - but will not be a certified storm shelter because it will not have the required restrooms and capability to provide drinking water, he said.

The school district will put the project out for bid in January, with construction expected to begin in February, Mr. Whit- lock said.

Before construction begins, the contractor and the school district will meet to lay out the phases of construction, as well as a schedule for the rest of the school year that will not disrupt classes or testing, he said.

They will also create a plan to isolate workers from students and to place construction trailers and materials so as not to disrupt classes, he said.

The school board next will set bid dates, times and locations, he said.