Amidst the move of the Derry Early Education Program (DEEP) to its previous home at Gilbert H. Hood Middle School and the resulting shift of the Next Charter School to West Running Brook Middle School, the routine cleaning, repairing, renovating and upgrading of school facilities is taking place across the Derry Cooperative School District.
Jane Simard, business administrator for the School District, said quite a few summer projects re being worked on, none of them major. She said some classrooms at offices at Hood are being painted, and Grinnell Elementary School has new tile flooring instead of carpet. Carpet was replaced with tile in seven district classrooms where the carpets were deemed unsafe.
“We plan to replace all carpet with tile down the road,” she said. “We do those carpets that are in the worst shape and considered unsafe first.”
Hood also received new outdoor lighting for the old part of the building’s front walkway, and oil tank lines will be replaced at East Derry Memorial Elementary School, although it can be done while school is in session. Landscaping and additional security cameras are also being installed in the district.
“There is a lot of rearranging of classrooms as teachers move from one building to another or from one classroom to another,” Simard said. “The electrical and lights are being tested, including changing out ballasts, and floors are being striped and sealed and the gym floors resurfaced.”
Simard indicated the district currently is under budget for maintenance work but some of the repair and replacement projects are done throughout the year because there isn’t sufficient time in the summer to get everything finished. She said the maintenance projects are on schedule and everything that is supposed to be finished by the start of school in late August should be done.
