School Board: Construction continues at Three Forks Schools

The Three Forks School District opened its doors to students for the first day of school on Sept. 6 with the all too familiar sound of construction humming in the background, and school administrators expect that noise to continue through December.

Andy Becker, the bond project manager, told the Three Forks School Board during its Sept. 20 meeting that some spaces in the south addition will become available for a phased turnover starting in mid-October, with others following through mid-December.

Although Becker does not have specific dates for handing over classrooms, the elementary addition and the music room are at the top of the priority list, followed by the special education room. Once construction in these areas wraps up, crews will move on to the Cafeteria, the high school admin space and then the high school renovation.

Three Forks Middle School and High School Principal Greg Heys said teachers have maintained a positive attitude through the project, but Superintendent Rhonda Uthlaut said the dust and noise have made classes difficult at time.

Additionally, some of the school’s much needed space is still under construction, limiting classes abilities to lay claim to one space. Uthlaut told the board that some programs rotate to share spaces, ensuring everyone has the space they need, when they need it.

Uthlaut also informed the board that weight lifting classes will likely have to relocate after basketball season since the boiler in the gym — which heated the space — was disconnected during construction. “It can be temporarily heated, but we’ll probably have to MacGyver a solution into the air handlers for the gym,” Becker told the board.

Becker’s report explained that the bond project has costed approximately $18.4 million so far, however, he expected it to climb to almost $23.2 million due to the addition of a $1.4 million roof replacement to the project.

Becker also gave the board the good news that the long awaited walk-in cooler, which was ordered in May of 2021, was scheduled for delivery on Thursday, Sept. 29. One board member was not convinced with the delivery saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”