Ridgeview Middle School Shares Major Construction Plans With Community

Plans for facility improvement construction at Ridgeview Middle School includes much more than the new heating and air condition system originally discussed. 

At a meeting Monday night, representatives from Montgomery County Public Schools, the contractor and architect told community members the construction, which began in August, also includes aesthetic and security enhancements.

Dr. Levine, the school's principal, opened the meeting with an introduction of the key planners in the project: Montgomery County Public Schools Construction Manager Craig Shuman and project Architect Rob Emard of the American Institute of Architects and Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Accredited Professional at The Lukmire Partnership.  

"This has been years and years of planning, hours and hours of letter writing, that has brought us here tonight," Dr. Levine said, "These are the people who are doing all of the construction and we are thrilled that it has already started."

Emard outlined plans for the project, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2012. 

The majority of the project centers on the need for a new heating/air conditioning (HVAC) system, Emard said. Along with school administrators, he said, the team prioritized the needs of the school.  After Montgomery County Public Schools conducted a second feasibility study in 2007, further funding was allocated for the project in the FY 2011 budget and the team was able to expand the construction to more than originally planned.

Emard said that the final result will include a "bump out" in the front of the building with a new administration suite that will add security and beauty to the school entrance; locker banks will be in three separate areas of the school, divided by grade; a wall with double doors will be built to seal the cafeteria for noise; a trash room will be added in the back of the school with a trash compactor; and the ramp will be replaced with a nice grand staircase.

"The science rooms will be completely renovated from top to bottom," Emard said, "and every regular classroom will get a new ceiling and new lighting as well as the HVAC upgrade."

The project team developed a phased construction plan that began in August with the construction of the portable buildings and ends in December 2012 with new lighting in classrooms. The phases are based on the locations of the HVAC systems and how the air ducts are installed throughout the school.

"This is one of the most sophisticated phasing plans that we've ever done in an MCPS school," Shuman said. "It's extremely complicated to coordinate this with the HVAC system and the school schedules. We are trying to make it seamless for the students."

Although all of the major construction will take place after school hours from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., some exterior masonry work will be done during school hours.

"We were walking around the outside of the building and saw that there were cracks and broken bricks," Shuman said. "We added that to the project because the masonry needs to be restored."

Emard said the school is lucky to have been able to expand the project.

"I know the economy is bad and Ridgeview's community was hit hard," Emard said. "Ironically, that same economy makes it so things are costing less and we could actually add things in."

Parent Lisa Tovik, asked if there would be any cover between the main building and the portables. She said many parents are concerned that their kids will have to go to the outdoor buildings two or three times a day even in bad weather. Shuman said there are no plans to make canopies and that the district plan does not provide for canopies in Middle or High schools, only in Elementary levels.

Tovik said that she has been involved in the project for several years and that all of the major problems of the building will be fixed by this construction.

"The fact is that most of the issues we brought up were addressed, and very well," she said. "Before, my one daughter would be boiling in a room on one end of the school, while my other daughter was freezing in a room down the hall. I can't wait until the HVAC system is working and they both can wear similar clothing to school in one day."

One parents said she was concerned about an asbestos warning sign posted in the front of the school. The representative from Oak Contracting said that the only asbestos in the building is in the lower level floor tile glues. Barriers will be maintained to keep the room sealed and the air in those areas will be continually filtered, he said. He added that there is no risk to the students and staff in the building.

In response to another parent's concern, Emard said entrance lighting will be improved with inlaid lights in the main entrance canopy as well as brighter fixtures just inside the doors.

The project team said they do not anticipate any major delays on the schedule since most of the work is indoors and delays are usually caused by weather. They also made sure everyone understood that students' class time will not be disrupted by the construction.

The phased schedule has been planned so that any work done inside a classroom will be done while that classroom is barricaded.

"These guys are fast. They can put up or take down a partition in a night," said Autumn Myers, RMS Media Specialist and construction liaison for the school administration. "The classrooms that are being worked on will be sealed off so the kids cannot get in there."

Floor plans, elevations, and the schedule details are on display in the school's front hallway.