RISON - Students returning to Woodlawn School today will notice a new look inside the cafeteria as a temporary wall has been installed to separate it from the construction going on outside for the new addition.
Brody Richardson of Brody Richardson Construction of Sheridan, the construction manager for the project, and architect David Porter gave the Woodlawn School Board an update on the progress of the new addition during its regular monthly meeting Monday night.
Superintendent Dr. Kevin Hancock said the project is on schedule, but the cafeteria staff is having to make some logistical changes since everything from the food delivery to trash disposal will be disrupted during the construction. He said he has included the food services director in all the meetings with the construction staff.
In February, the Woodlawn School Board approved a budget of about $1.23 million to build a nearly 2,800 square foot addition to the cafeteria that will include additional dining space, a second serving line and more kitchen storage.
The additional dining space will help the district reduce the number of lunch periods it must have throughout the day, thereby allowing students to have lunch at a more reasonable time. With the space available now, lunch periods have ranged from before 11 a.m. to after 1 p.m.
Richardson told the school board when the bid was approved in February that it would take about eight months to complete the project once construction gets underway. Construction on the exterior started in late May.
Surplus Transfer
The school board also gave Hancock permission to transfer the year-end surplus from the general fund to the building once the final financial numbers are completed.
Hancock explained that Woodlawn has traditionally closed out its books from the previous fiscal year in August. The fiscal yer for school districts runs from July 1 to June 30. Once all the bills from the previous year are paid, the district will know whether it finished above o…