Students returning to school at Kinder Elmentary, Kinder Middle and Kinder High will see the fruits of summer construction and construction in progress.
The Kinder schools have seen construction since November 2019. Carolyn Manuel, board member for the Allen Parish School Board, believes the construction could be completed by the start of 2021. Voters approved monies for construction, but the process to make the changes began in the spring of 2016 when the planning stage was underway. Manuel, who is keeping updated on the process, is excited as the process continues.
With the start of school nearing, Manuel said it was important to get classrooms ready for teachers. She said teachers will need time to prepare their work areas because of the COVID-19 virus and the need to create social distancing inside of the classroom.
“Our goal is to start with everyone on all three campuses,” Manuel said. They knew classrooms were the top priority for the start of school so those were finished or are being completed now.
Manuel said they have been hit with the double C this year – COVID and construction. “We have had a very busy summer, and we have all been able to adjust.” She said things can change daily, and she said they have found ways to move forward.
It’s not been an easy process since the virus has caused delays for some materials. In other instances, setbacks like discovering piping underground and other related items involving old construction has kept them busy. The education and construction crews on the campuses have worked hard to move forward toward the start of school on August 20.
On the elementary and middle school campus, she said the 1950s exterior wall was removed along with the glass block craftsmanship and crank windows typical to that period. She said the cafeteria and fifth grade classrooms were problably there in the 1940s. She recalls attending first and second grade in that building in 1960.
When school starts the fifth grade classrooms will be filled with students and teachers.
After Labor Day, she hopes elementary and middle school students will be eating in the new udated cafeteria. She said a larger prep space was created and more seating since they are feeding approximately 1,000 students a day.
Until the cafeteria is ready, students will receive sack lunches. Manuel said the cafeteria supervisor and managers have been creative in what will be prepared and given to students who will be eating in their classrooms.
The high schools’ freezers are in. The buildings in the back of the campus where food was once stored are demolished and cleared. Everything is now stored inside the campus near the cafeteria.
When teachers arrive, the classrooms are expected to be ready. Manuel said they removed walls, took out the glass ventilation found at the top in classrooms, aluminum windows and porcelain panels. It all was replaced with energy efficient materials. She said LED lighting was utilized for better lighting, and new floors were poured in some areas to improve the areas and provide less maintance time. She said they wanted to mimic the floors in the classrooms but use materials that don’t require the annual maintenance custodians are required to do in the older areas of the campus.
The new gym is being constructed. When complete, it will allow the school to host sporting events that often went to other larger areas.
School will be starting on August 20. Manuel complimented the superintendent, administration, staff, etc. on their work ethics and solving virus- and construction-related problems. She said the new personnel has been helpful with new ideas.
“Everything is looking good. The custodial staff has been very busy.”
Manuel believes by December everyone will be smiling again. She said, “We can’t do anything about the virus, but construction should be complete.”
