New Stratton Elementary nears completion; progress made on other school projects
Jan. 12—After experiencing weather delays and supply chain shortages, David Ferguson, with ZMM Architects & Engineering, said construction of the new Stratton Elementary School will be completed in the next six months.
During an update on school construction projects at two Raleigh County elementary schools and a middle school at a Raleigh County School Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Ferguson said Stratton, one of Raleigh Schools' most anticipated building projects, should be complete the week of June 12 just prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year.
"The building and furniture are supposed to be complete, and installation of furniture should begin the week of the 12th of June," Ferguson said.
Once the new elementary school is complete, the demolition of the current Stratton Elementary, located in front of the new building, will begin.
Ferguson said brick and limestone from the old building, which holds great historical significance to the community and the state as the first all-Black high school in Raleigh County, is currently being removed in order to be preserved.
He added that it will be placed in a tribute space which is being built in the new school near the gymnasium.
Memorabilia from former students is also being collected and will be put on display.
The new school will also include a mural painted by the alumni of Stratton. The painting of tiles for the mural will take place from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, in the current Stratton Elementary School gymnasium.
The square tiles are four inches on each side and will be placed in the school's new cafeteria.
All the tiles will have a background color that is a variation of yellow, green or blue. Participants can then choose to paint a memory from their time at Stratton, what Stratton means to them or a simple figure such as a basketball of smiley face.
All tiles will be reviewed prior to installation.
Construction of the new Stratton Elementary began in mid-2021 and is estimated to cost $20 million.
Shady Spring Elementary School
Construction on the $14.5 million expansion and renovation of Shady Spring Elementary School by Paramount Builders began a little over a month ago.
Randy Jones with ZMM said crews are working to clear the area on either side of the building, which had been parking lots, in order to make way for a new gymnasium on the left side of the building and an expanded kitchen on the opposite side.
"The building footprint is nearly to grade and we're actually installing foundations, so those will be going in here very, very soon," Jones said. "So very soon, probably within the next month, we should start seeing concrete blocks come up out of the ground and then we should really start seeing some good progress, weather permitting, with the rest of the projects."
Six additional classrooms are also being constructed in the space behind the gymnasium.
A new parking area is also in the works and will be located in the former playground area. Prior to digging up the area for the parking lot, Jones said all the playground equipment was removed and what was still useable was relocated to another elementary school.
The project is expected to take about 16 months.
Park Middle School
Ferguson said the construction projects planned for Park Middle will go out to bid later in January, following approval from the West Virginia School Building Authority (WV SBA).
Last year, WV SBA approved a $1 million grant for Raleigh Schools for the demolition and construction of a new gym for the middle school.
Park's old gym has been closed since the end of the 2020-2021 academic year due to structural problems.
Plans for Park Middle also include renovation of the second floor for a CTE lab.
It is estimated that the Park Middle project will cost $9.5 million.
