Much to do in the next week at Batavia HS

It may not look like it now, but Batavia High School officials expect that when the first day of school rolls around next week, students will be able to drive to school and park on site.

For much of the summer, the school has been fenced off, as construction crews moved mountains of dirt, tore up the tennis courts and parking lots and graded land. It was all part of the first phase of a 2-year, $61 million plan to expand the school.

This week, the entire north lot, where students will park, is getting its asphalt covering. Last week, workers poured asphalt for the bus lanes.

"We're really in pretty good shape," said Steve Caliendo, associate superintendent for operations.

The new tennis courts, now on the west side of the campus, won't be ready until after Labor Day. "We never planned to be ready the first day," Caliendo said, noting arrangements were made to conduct practices and meets elsewhere.

A second four-room mobile classroom unit is being installed on the south side of the building this week. Classes will move into there, as needed, to avoid the noise of construction when expansion of the northeast corner of the building starts.

And within the next two weeks, the south lot, where the faculty parks, will be paved. Overall, more than 200 parking spaces were added to the 45-acre campus.

"Yes, I know, it is quite a project right now, but it is starting to come together now," Caliendo said.

A lot of the earthmoving that took place this summer is in preparation for later construction, Caliendo said. And because of the construction, the viewing area for Batavia's Fourth of July fireworks show had to be moved from the high school grounds to a nearby park. Temporary footpaths are being designated from the gym and parking areas to the athletic fields.

The whole project, which started in June, is expected to take 2 years, working from the east side of campus to the west. Twenty-five classrooms and three laboratories are being added. After the first phase of classroom work, a new office complex will be made.

In Phase II, starting mid-2009, a physical education center - including a fieldhouse, an 875-seat auditorium and more classrooms - will be built.

"It will be very busy," Caliendo said.

School starts Aug. 20.