Major improvements at Carbon Schools under way

By Submitted by Carbon School District

Five major projects are under way at Carbon County schools, with smaller projects and upgrades across the district. The list includes all but two schools.
The largest project is the revamping of Mont Harmon Middle School which was begun last year in phase one and will be completed this year. To go along with what was done to the classroom and office section of the building, workers are replacing the roof on the shop area, band/choir rooms, auditorium, cafeteria and gymnasium. Roof replacement on the 50-year-old building means more than putting on new materials. As of this fall, the old heating system that had served the school since the late 1960s will be replaced with roof top heaters. With that addition, the entire school will be air conditioned. Many more things have been done to the building, including electrical upgrades where needed.
“These upgrades will keep the building going for another 50 years,” said Kerry Jensen, the Facilities Director for the district. “In every other way the building is sound and in very good shape.”
The cost of that project for both phases is $5 million plus. Building new school would have cost five to six times that much.
The Castle Valley Center is getting its parking area expanded with between 50 and 60 new spaces being added west of the existing northern lot at the school.
Castle Heights is getting its parking lot expanded also with more than 70 new spaces added to alleviate the parking problem there. The cost of that construction is around $400,000. The school is also having a security lock system/access control system installed along with a security wall and doors for the kindergarten rooms on the north end of the school.
Another major project is taking place at Sally Mauro Elementary where the office is being remodeled. The remodel will completely change the way the office is set up and is costing about $100,000.
The entire Lighthouse High School will be heated and cooled by roof top units beginning this year as the cafeteria, gymnasium and halls will all be provided with new equipment. The boiler in the building has been removed so that room is being remodeled into a FACS room. An old archive room is being remodeled into a workout room for students. The classroom areas have been on roof top heating and air conditioning units for some time.
Other projects in the district include a new intercom system at Carbon High and a new phone system installed in Helper Middle School.