By FULLER ROYAL

The project coordinator of the new Williams Township School, Tommy Nance, said he is fairly certain that students will be in the new building by the first day of the 2006-07 school year.

“We’re feeling pretty good about having it ready by the time school starts,” Nance said. “We need to have it finished by the time the kids get back.”

All of the structural work is complete. Crews are working on the interiors from ceramic tile in the bathrooms to air conditioning ducts to hanging the grids for lights and ceiling tile.

The lights have been placed, but the ceiling tile will be among the last things installed.

Nance said that all of the building interiors have been painted and floor tile work should start within next few days.

All of the millwork was delivered last week and temporary electricity has been switched on in two of the wings.

Nance said the school’s natural gas line is scheduled to be installed later this week.

Furniture has been ordered. Much of the furniture for the new building was ordered immediately after the January 2004 fire with the idea that it would eventually make its way into the new facility.

The furniture that was donated by surrounding school systems will be replaced by new furniture.

Nance said that within the next two to three weeks, a decision would have to be made on whether to extend the lease on the 20-plus mobile units that are serving as temporary office and classroom space.

It will be costly to have to hang on to the units through the summer just to have them in place for the beginning of school.

As the fall opening of school grows nearer, Nance said he is meeting more often with the contractors.

One logistical problem for the school is how to handle the transfer of all the desks, books, equipment and supplies.

Ideally, teachers would like to be able to move from their current mobile classrooms straight into their new classrooms.

If the mobile units are released when school ends, the teachers will have to move their classroom contents twice – once into temporary storage and then again into their classrooms once they are ready.