The Delaware Board of Education approved funding plans for expansion at Woodward Elementary School and approved a number of staffing changes at its Monday meeting.
The board approved a number of construction contractors to begin working at Woodward Elementary. School officials report that construction will add classroom additions to accommodate fifth-grade students and will allow removal of trailers currently being used as classrooms.
The improvements will also add a dedicated gym to eliminate shared cafeterias/gym space at Woodward.
Woodward will also receive additional parking areas, improvements to its playgrounds, for traffic flow and the bus drop-off area.
The board approved projects with the following contractors:
• Robertson Construction Services Inc. as the general trades contractor and awarded it $1,886,500 for the project, including accepted alternate projects.
• SONA Construction LLC as the masonry contractor and awarded it $815,000.
• M&C Construction LLC as the roofing contractor and awarded it $442,999.
• Guenther Mechanical Inc. as the plumbing and HVAC contractor and awarded it $666,985.
• Accurate Electric Construction Inc. as the electric/fire alarm/technology contractor and awarded it $733,767.
• Trane Building Services and its proposal for HVAC equipment. After approval from the board, Trane was awarded a $348,581 contract.
Construction is being financed by a 2013 bond issue passed by voters, and is projected will be completed by the start of 2017-18 school year. The addition will support the district’s move to a kindergarten through fifth grade at the elementary schools.
Until the construction is completed, Woodward fifth-graders will be instructed at Willis Intermediate School.
The board also approved a number of staffing changes, including:
• Accepting the resignations of four teachers — Moriah Weber, who taught at Carlisle Elementary; Lauren Ruple, who taught at Dempsey Middle School; Erin Chandler, who taught at Dempsey; and Peter Minardi, who taught at Hayes High School.
• Accepting the resignation of Abby Schaperkotter, grant coordinator for the district.
• Approving the employment of two teachers — Alexandra Miller, who will teach at Schultz Elementary, and Lauren Robbins, who will teach at Hayes.
• Approving supplemental contracts for numerous employees, including baseball head coach Patrick Montgomery and basketball head coach Jordan Blackburn, as well as other athletic coaches, camp coordinators and other extracurricular coordinators.