Work is nearly complete on millions in upgrades to the high school.
FRANKLIN TWP. -- Dr. Piera Gravenor doesn't mince words.
Delsea Regional High School will open on time this Tuesday morning, the superintendent said.
Following several months of work to replace the roof and HVAC systems, some speculated on social media that the school would not be ready to open on time.
Not true, Gravenor stressed this week.
"There is nothing standing in our way to open on Tuesday," she said, adding that the school will be safe and clean for students.
The project manager indicates work is about 95 percent complete, Gravenor said Friday. What remains are some piping work and "tying up loose ends," she said. "The majority of the work is done."
Any remaining jobs will be done after students leave for the day and no work will be done during school hours. This was the same way work was handled in the spring, she said. The project continued through the summer.
This work is part of a $20.7 million bond referendum approved in 2014 for roof and HVAC replacements at both the middle and high schools, as well as construction of a 4,000-square-foot addition for special education at the middle school. The middle school work was completed last summer and the high school work began in the spring.
Officials knew work at the high school would take longer because of "unique challenges" presented with a school that was built in stages over the last 50 years. The building consists of four different sections, Gravenor explained, and that meant replacing wiring, piping and ductwork was a complicated job.
Further complicating matters was a delay in receiving steel for the roof work, an issue that has hampered school projects elsewhere, she noted.
Also, HVAC equipment ordered in February didn't arrive until mid-August. This equipment had to be custom-made.
"We did as much as we could as early as we could," she said. "When the kids got out, they went full force. It would have been great to be finished by the end of August," she said.
So, whether you like it not, Tuesday is opening day at Delsea. The district plans a grand-reopening of sorts once the work is completed to celebrate the improvements.
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.