Livingston Public Schools

Updated July 6, 2011

School is out for summer and construction is under way for the renovation of Livingston Public Schools as part of the $55.9 million School District facility upgrade project, of which up to $22.4 million will be funded by State Aid.

On a recent tour of the school construction, Board Administrator Steven Robinson and Construction Project Manager Jamie Perrette of Turner Construction Company walked the hallways of several of the schools inspecting the progress of the work. Robinson said he anticipates that the first phase of the project should be completed on schedule by the middle of August.  Phase two, work on the individual classrooms, will begin Sept. 1 with a completion date for all of the work on target for the summer of 2012.

Laborers are removing old air conditioning units and installing new windows. They are renovating bathrooms, replacing them with new more modernized facilities that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They are tearing down old ceiling tiles and preparing for electrical service upgrades, installing new duct work and renovating the Mount Pleasant and Heritage Middle School auditoriums. Workers will also be replacing HVAC units which will provide air conditioning in all classrooms and install Automatic Temperature Control systems.

“Every classroom space will have air conditioning,” Robinson said adding the renovations will increase the energy efficiency of all school buildings by replacing 30-year-old heating and cooling systems with brand new systems which will reduce the cost of maintenance and energy use and improve air quality. They will also meet new building codes and will provide long-term infrastructure improvements including new roofs and interior door replacements for all schools.

The project also includes sinks and special railings for stairwells, several improvements to ensure that the schools comply with all of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Work on the installation of solar panels, as part of a separate $8.7 million bond referendum, has been completed and will save the district hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Over at Mount Pleasant Middle School, a crane lifted new HVAC duct work from a truck up onto the ceiling of the school. At Harrison School, workers removed old air conditioning units and piled them outside on the sidewalk. At Heritage, Robinson admired new ADA compliant bathrooms and watched as workers replaced windows.

Beginning in the fall, learning cottages or trailers will be installed at each school to house different classes while work is done on their classrooms.

Due to renovations in the school office, Peggy Sullivan, secretary to the assistant principal at Heritage Middle School, worked at a desk in the Media Center. Some workers at different schools will be temporarily relocated during office renovations.