Steamboat Pilot & Today

South Routt — The Soroco High and South Routt Elementary schools have orange carpet.

Everywhere.

It's in the classrooms, the library and some of the hallways.

And it's older than the students who walk on it, so it's worn, torn and in some places, because of that wear and tear, one could hardly call it orange anymore.

"Soon, we're going to have new carpet in all the buildings," South Routt Superintendent Steve Jones said.

It will be one of the more noticeable improvements that students, teachers and administrators will enjoy at the completion of a multimillion-dollar revamp and reconstruction of the schools.

The funding, to the tune of about $8.95 million, is provided by property owners in the school district, who passed a bond issue last November.

The bond passed by voters is $9 million.

However, he explained, the work will have to coincided with classes next year so its completion will have to be right on schedule so classes won't be disrupted.

For example, work on all three schools will start this summer. At the elementary school, a 7,000-square-foot, six-classroom wing will be added onto the building; the middle school will be completely gutted and remodeled; and the high school will have a new gym, a commons area and a new agricultural building.

But not all the projects will be finished at the same time.

The agricultural building, which will be built north of the high school and will include a space for administrators, will be done first on Sept. 3.

Work on the middle school will continue into the first semester, which starts two weeks later than normal to give some padding for construction work. So middle school students will be spending the 2001 fall semester at the high school. Some of the classes will be held in the old agricultural building and the old administrative building. So if the new ag building isn't done by its projected date, there could be problems, Jones said.

Soroco High School Principal Rich Coleman said there is a good plan in place, which will help ensure a seamless move. But he said he expects to have some issues to work through, one way or another.

"I would expect there will be some adjustment difficulties," he said. "It will be a lot of people in one building."

During that semester, work also will be going on at the high school and the elementary school.

The elementary school addition should be finished by Dec. 19. Then the process of moving second-, fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms out of the center portion of the school into the new wing will begin.

"It's pretty cut and dry for us," South Routt Elementary Principal Troy Zabel said.

If work isn't done on time, the school's capacity for students won't be in jeopardy, he said.

In the spring semester, the center part of the school will be remodeled to house the library and learning center. Those functions will move out of the modular buildings in the back of the school, hopefully during the spring break of 2002, Zabel said.

Meanwhile, work at the middle school should be finished, too, Jones said.

On Dec. 20, students will break for their two weeks of winter vacation.

When students return for the spring semester, middle school students will move back to the "brand new school," Jones said.

Work at the high school will continue and is expected to be completed sometime in March, he said.

"We hope to have (the gym) used by track and baseball next year," Jones said.

And while the boys of summer are using the new gym, some of the classrooms will be expanded, skylights will be constructed and the new carpet will be rolled out and installed.

The color of the carpet, Jones said, has not been decided but will be anything

but orange.