BROKEN BOW, NE- Broken Bow Schools and Hausmann construction hosted tours on Thursday afternoon (December 19) for the public in order to give an update on school bond construction.
Broken Bow Public Schools Superintendent Darren Tobey said that construction is on schedule. Expected milestone dates include: Remodeled space completion in March, new building space completion on May 1, and the start of gym-involved construction on February 10.
With the assistance of augmented reality, those on the tour were able to stand inside incomplete rooms and get a virtual preview of what it would look like completed through the lens of a tablet camera.
The tour began on the north side of the school, where both life skills and SPED will be located all in one place. The green space and flag pole that used to exist on the south side of the school has been covered by new construction, which will feature the new main school entrance that will be the only entry point once school days begin.
The locker rooms off of the middle school auditorium have been removed and replaced with a hallway to give locker room access without possibly disturbing an event on the stage. A prop staging area also sits at the back part of the stage area. Double doors have been replaced by a large garage door for moving large props on and off of the stage.
Tobey said that the auditorium will feature two large screens to the left and right of the stage, which along with sound proofing additions should allow the school to host events that have otherwise been held in the gym (a much less echo-friendly option).
ADA compliance was a large theme of the tour, including a new elevator attached to the 38 building, strategically placed to help both attendees of events in the auditorium and band students moving heavy instruments. Bathrooms in the 38 building are all being made more ADA compliant during renovations as well.
HVAC and fire sprinklers, which were not present in all locations of the building originally will be when construction is complete. Asbestos in tile glue in the high school and under sinks and elsewhere in the 38 building has been removed throughout the construction process as well.
The large CTE new-construction portion of the process is now enclosed, with garage doors scheduled to arrive soon.
Pictures of the construction progress:
