Larger text
Smaller text
Print
E-mail
Moss Side expected to be open for classes in Jan.
"The project is scheduled to be complete no later than Dec. 20," school district Business Manager Harvey Smith said. "The school should reopen in January unless something unforeseen happens, and we don't anticipate any problems."
To make sure the work is done on time, the district will impose a hefty penalty — $1,000 a day — on contractors who miss the deadline.
The school has been closed since February after officials discovered mold in the building. About 330 students were moved to other schools, primarily Moss Side Middle School and University Park Elementary School. District officials anticipated students would return to their school a few weeks later, but during the clean-up, asbestos was found.
Last week, the school board awarded three contracts totalling about $96,000 as part of its efforts to remove mold and asbestos from the elementary school. The district already has spent $250,000 to replace Moss Side Elementary's roof, which was leaking water that caused the mold to develop.
An additional $400,000 was spent to remove mold.
The firms that received the contracts are:
Only one of the three companies, Air Technology, completed a summary sheet that outlined a schedule to complete the project. The firm said it will complete the project in 23 days, meaning the work would be finished by Nov. 29.
Smith said the other two companies' contracts call for similar schedules to be submitted no later than three days after the work has begun.
Parents have complained throughout the project about how slow the district was moving to rectify the problems and how it appeared that they were not considering the stress the move was causing on students.
But recently, parents said children have adapted to the changes and have not had any major problems.
Debbie Balcik, president of the Moss Side Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization, said Principal Elizabeth Coates and her staff have made sure the children are focused on their education and not the move from their school.
"I think they've done a nice job of making it comfortable for the kids," Balcik said. "You go into that school and it's like any other school. The kids are having a blast. And the kids are great."
Board member Gregg Nemec said the district has been working hard to solve Moss Side's problems and get the kids back in their regular school.
"Everybody knows what we have to do now," he said. "It's just of matter of getting in there and doing it."
Nemec said, however, that he would be surprised if the project is completed in December and the school reopens in January. He said the school board wants to make sure the work is done correctly.
"If there was any way I thought the building wasn't safe for the kids, I wouldn't vote to reopen it," he said.
Balcik said she is confident that if and when the school reopens, the district will have made sure that air quality tests were conducted and the school will be safe for the children and the teachers.
"Everybody is ready to get back in the school," she said.
More Pittsburgh, Allegheny headlines
- Humar believes in being UPMC surgeon first, administrator second
- Defendant cooperates with DA in Meadows casino theft
- Planners need billions to rehabilitate roadways, bridges
- UPMC unit to increase use of organs from living donors
- Autopsy shows Hill District baby in bin was stillborn
- Cranberry couple under investigation in use of orphans' trust fund
- Fewer flights don't result in fewer authority workers in Allegheny
- UPMC Braddock closure plan upsets council
