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Peters Township students receive instruction at site of future high school

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 4 min read
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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Stephen Reckhart, on-site construction manager for the new Peters Township High School project, discusses some aspects with Fred Burns and his students during a visit to the site.

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Construction progresses on the new Peters Township High School.

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A crane does its job at the new Peters Township High School.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

More construction on the new Peters Township High School

Even though the new Peters Township High School still is a long way from completion, it already is being used as a classroom of sorts.

For the past few months, high school technology education teacher Fred Burns has been taking groups of students on periodic visits to the construction site, where they can take a close look at various stages of the project while learning from some of the professionals who are working on it.

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Peters Township High School students Erin Shannon, left, and Lily Labee listen to a description of the construction project.

“It’s a great opportunity, because it allows them to actually see something tangible, while in other scenarios, we just talk about it and look at pictures,” Burns said. “And to see the progression has really been valuable to the kids.”

The students involved primarily are studying architecture, and some of them have been accepted at schools that specialize in the field. Others have expressed interested in pursuing careers in construction.

“As jobs progress and things change, there are far more careers than I knew about as a high school student, than most of our students’ parents realized at that time,” high school assistant principal April Ragland, who accompanied a group on a recent visit, said. “So any opportunity to connect directly with people who are doing the work is beneficial.”

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Mark Duane of Hayes Design Group Architects discusses the project.

Among the professionals sharing their experiences with the students was Mike Arnold, vice president of construction management services for Reynolds Construction LLC, the firm hired by the school district as construction manager for the high school project. He discussed various aspects of what that entails, from determining the sequence of work to ensuring that the project’s contractors fulfill their obligations.

“It requires a lot of hard work,” he said about the construction business, “but it’s a very satisfying field to be in because you have the opportunity to see the fruits of your labor. There are a lot of professions out there where you sit behind the desk. At the end of the day, you may not have that sense of satisfaction that other opportunities have. Our industry really does provide that.”

Also talking with the students was Mark Duane, principal with Hayes Design Group Architects, which partnered with another firm, Weber Murphy Fox, on the design of the new high school.

A Peters Township High School graduate, himself, Duane addressed factors that went into the design, including durability.

“This is a school. It’s a lot different than, say, an apartment building or an office building or retail building,” he explained. “You want it to be around for a hundred years, right?”

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Mike Arnold, Reynolds Construction, LLC, vice president of construction management services, speaks to students in a construction trailer at the work site.

The structure’s ability to last a long time combines with aesthetics – “the fun part,” Duane said – and the crucial aspect of cost.

“Everyone has a limit. There’s no open checkbook. So we have to be cost-conscious and do things cost-effectively as we select materials.”

For the new building, those primarily are brick, steel and aluminum, all materials readily available locally, with a strategically advantageous amount of glass.

“Glass decreases your ability to insulate the building,” Duane explained, but it’s essential at the school: “For classrooms, we wanted the ability for students to be able to sit there and have a view outside.”

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Construction on the academic wing as of May

For students who are contemplating careers in construction, Arnold said that technological considerations are starting to gain more traction in the industry, particularly with regard to automation.

“Is it going to take over construction jobs? Probably not, in that the construction job by the person is just going to change a little bit,” he explained. “It’s going to become a little bit easier. It’s going to become more reflective on the process that’s happening and how that worker can help with the robotics and move that project along.”

Regarding the progress of the $96 million high school project, a major milestone is targeted for Dec. 9, when an energy connection will be established for the building to provide permanent heating.

“As we progress with the project, in order to put finishes in the building, we need to have a controlled environment,” Arnold said. “It’s important that milestone is met, because really, 11 months from there, we have to turn the building over.”

That would be Oct. 28, 2020, when “overall substantial completion” is projected and when the district can start making the transition from old high school to new in earnest.

Harry Funk/The Almanac

Harry Funk/The Almanac

The new Peters Township High School is taking shape.

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