Moving into school is a big job

Almost ready for move-in. Photo by Tom Chace

Building a new high school is, of course, a huge project. So is getting moved in.

"Actually, when you look at the overall project and everything that has to occur here, it can be viewed as a daunting task. But when you break it down into sections, and assigning those areas of work to responsible people, it becomes a manageable process."

That, in any case, is the view of Bob Martin, the man in charge of moving furniture and equipment into two Sisters schools this summer. The new $21 million high school will receive mainly new furnishings. Even so, quite a bit of material will have to be moved from the existing high school to the new one -- everything from band stands to football helmets.

At the same time, a smaller amount must be moved from the middle school on Cascade Avenue to the current high school building, which will be remodeled to serve as the district's middle school. Before the boxes arrive, the existing high school building will be refurbished.

Martin is the district's facilities director. Shepherding the new high school through planning, site preparation and construction has been his biggest task since he joined the district staff three years ago. He came to the job after an extensive career as a private contractor. He worked on many schools, he says, but never before on the school end of the staffing spectrum.

This is how he describes the summer moving job:

"We have new furniture being delivered to the new high school July 7. Starting July 11 they are going to start assembling and placing the new furniture in the classrooms there.

"However, immediately after school is out on June 13, (on the following) Monday we are going to start removing the boxed up items that belong to the teachers, moving them into their corresponding classrooms at the new high school. At the same time, we will remove the furniture from the existing high school in preparation for removal and installation of carpet.

"Once that carpet has been installed we will move the furniture back in, move in the boxed-up items from the middle school teachers and place them in each classroom and lock the door."

Both floors of the existing high school will receive new carpeting, top first and then the ground floor.

Martin says "a minimal amount of furniture" will be moved from the existing middle school to the new one because the new middle school will keep most of its furniture.

"In anticipation of liquidating the existing middle school property we will need to consolidate inventory -- all the furniture and other miscellaneous items that will no longer be used by this school district. I have a crew that will move all the furniture out of all the classrooms and consolidate it into the old middle school gym."

Once an inventory has been taken and decisions have been made about whatever the district might want to keep and use elsewhere, a sale will be approved by the school board. "Surrounding school districts" will get first crack at the remaining material, followed by nearby private schools. Once they have made their purchases, whatever is left will be offered to the public in a kind of garage sale.

District personnel will put suggested prices on the used goods, with advice from a representative of the company that is providing the new furniture to the two new schools.

The football team and perhaps other team members will move all of the athletic equipment from the two old schools to the two new schools. The same will be true of a variety of specialized areas, such as art and music. Teachers and students familiar with those areas will do the moving of sensitive items.

Computers and telecommunications equipment generally will be moved and installed under the supervision of Todd Pilch, the district's technology coordinator.

Martin has "put out an employment opportunity" notice for high school students who want to work on the unpacking, moving and assembling. To qualify, students must be 16. They must also have a driver's license and able to lift 45 pounds.