DUNCAN —
Duncan Public Schools still has sights set on beginning construction May 1 at the Duncan High School.
The construction is the result of a $19.03 million bond issue approved by the supermajority (more than 60 percent) votes casts in the Feb. 14, 2012, election. The bond project, which is broken down into six parts, is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2014.
“It’s still on track,” DPS Superintendent Sherry Labyer said.
Since the bond issue was passed by voters, work has started on getting the project ready for groundbreaking. The school district has been working with PBK Architect to plan out the project and design of the high school.
The idea is to make the high school campus mostly contained under one roof. The front of the building is expected to change radically, with a change in appearance and location of the front entrance.
Labyer said the project is moving away from just planning. She said civil engineers have converged on the high school to start working on various details of the project.
“They’re getting a better handle on the high school and the bigger picture,” she said.
Work is expected to begin in May with hopes of reducing the amount of time students are displaced by construction. The project will work around students, but Labyer said accommodations will be made to keep the learning process rolling.
The bond project will not include the auditorium, the gym or any athletic facilities. These were included in a 2011 bond issue, which received a majority vote but didn’t pass 60 percent.
Duncan isn’t the only school working on a bond issue project. Earlier this year, Marlow broke ground on its 2011 bond project, which is adding a new building to the Marlow Elementary School campus. Central High is continuing work on its 2012 bond issue, which is constructing a new gym, which is expected to be completed this year.
Labyer said the administrators, faculty, staff and students are ready to get the construction underway.
“It’s really exciting,” Labyer said. “I’m really excited to break ground.”
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