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March 28, 2024 2:19 am
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Bowler Elementary Under Construction

Grant M. Bowler Elementary School Principal Shawna Jessen discusses the school’s renovation with Big Town Mechanical job superintendent Gary Ondrisko, as journeyman plumber Mike DeFore works on the project.

By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

Grant M. Bowler Elementary School is undergoing an extensive renovation that will eventually give students a whole new school inside familiar, long-standing outside walls.

The entire rehabilitation project, which started Jan. 8 after a delay of about a month, is expected to last some 310 days, according to Shawna Jessen, Grant Bowler principal, and will virtually redo the entire inside of the school as well as a new roof and the heating and air conditioning system.

The work is being done in phases with a minimal interruption to the 640 students who attend the elementary. Eight portable classrooms were brought in and will be used by different classes, different sets of students, on a rotating basis.

“We are so very excited that we finally got this on,” Jessen said. “We were selected to undergo the renovation because we needed so badly to have so much work done. It’s so great to think that after this is all finished we’ll actually be able to wash our hands under warm running water (something that was hit or miss in the past).”

Big Town Mechanical, a Moapa Valley contractor, is doing the rehab work which includes new carpet, paint, plumbing, electrical, bathrooms, ceilings, the full kitchen and high tech upgrades for all the classrooms, in addition to the roof and HVAC.

“We’re having six computer drops (connections) installed in all the classrooms as well as making the whole school a Wi-Fi hot spot,” Jessen explained. “We’re also installing interactive write boards in each classroom. Each room is also getting sink with hot and cold running water.”

Other new features include security doors limiting access to the school and an “ambulatory stall” in the bathrooms which makes it possible for someone to go in and assist a handicapped student if necessary.

Gary Ondrisko, job superintendent for the contactor, said the work is progressing well.

“We kind of got off to a rocky start but it’s really moving well, especially with all the fantastic cooperation of the school people,” Ondrisko said. “We expect to do the majority of the major projects during the summer months and maybe we can make up some of the time we lost by starting a month late.”

“Some of the teachers are welcoming the extensive changes and can hardly wait for their new rooms,” Jessen said. “Others have been in the same classrooms for more than 18 years and just want the whole thing over and done with.”

The school is generally open 11 months of the year, only closing in July. Jessen said that will continue during the renovation.

“At some point we’ll have to temporarily move the office, but we’ll provide directions to everyone,” she added.

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