The superintendent of New Bloomfield School District has been on edge all summer watching cars slow down to catch a glimpse of construction at the school.
"All summer, I was waiting for a fender bender in front of the school," said David Tramel, district superintendent. "(The construction) was busy, stressful, and a lot of work, but so rewarding."
Construction was all over the school district as windows, doors, parking lots, bathrooms, roofing, and air conditioning units were upgraded. The upgrades have improved the school's curb appeal, Tramel said.
"The reception has been very positive," he said. "Everyone has been pleased with how it looks. Driving by the building, the first thing you see is a resurfaced parking lot. It really changed the appearance of the roadway along J."
The improvements, Tramel said, had a positive effect on the overall mood during the first week of school.
"I think it does make you feel good to walk into a place where things are clean, fresh and functional," he said. "We did well before, but I think people are surprised how the changes made such a difference."
According to Tramel, students weren't the only ones to be energized by the changes.
"Teachers were super excited about it," he added. "We have yet to have someone walk in and say they don't like it."
The summer long construction, Tramel added, did experience a few delays.
"There was a 72-hour period where we received between eight and 10 inches of rain," he said. "For the contractors to do everything they did with the way the weather has been, it's amazing."
The inclement weather, Tramel said, did provide an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of some of the projects.
"However, it did give us an opportunity to observe the drainage they installed," he said. The drainage was flawless, he added.
The project is a result of a bond issue.
"This is all to do with a bond issue they passed a few years ago, and I hope the community sees the value in what they've done," he said. "We really want to find a way to do an open house. There's probably people who voted for the project who don't come to the school often, and we want them to be able to see it."
The original bond provided funds for HVAC, windows, doors and parking lot improvements. Initial bids came in significantly lower than the allotted amount, which allowed the district to make even more improvements.
"Those initial projects came in so well, we were able to do even more than we had originally planned," Tramel said.
Jeremy Davidson, principal of New Bloomfield High School, said along with the visual appearance, the new windows, doors, roofs and air conditioning are functional.
"It's been a nice change," he said. "It's clean, and we don't have to worry about some of the little things we had to worry about before. It feels different in the building."
Brenda Maddox, who was heavily involved in lobbying for the bond issue, said the kids love the changes, and the district is grateful for those who voted in favor of funding the projects.
"The kids even notice the small changes, and how much brighter it is in here," she said. "We really appreciate the communities support in allowing all these changes to be made."
