LAKELAND – Over the next couple of months, as students enjoy their summer holidays, construction crews will be busy doing work inside various Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) school buildings to have them ready for September.
This work ranges from repairing and replacing equipment and infrastructure that is damaged, to larger upgrades such as creating secure entrances at schools,
according to Nicole Garner, communications and public relations manager for Northern Lights Public Schools.
“All of our schools have work done in them over the summer months, as it is easier and less disruptive to learning to do the work when students and staff are not using the facilities,” Garner said. “Some work is done in-house by our facilities team, and some is done by contractors.”
Contracted summer work includes fencing, flooring, roofing, sidewalk repair, a basketball net install, replacing baseball backstop mesh, gym equipment inspections, and sprinkler system inspections.
“In-house projects include a washroom wall repair, interior wall removal and floor upgrade, interior lighting upgrade, sidewalk repair, interior keying, and exterior basketball net install,” she stated.
This year, according to Garner, contracted work that is already underway or completed includes replacing failed heat exchangers, roofing, the replacement of gym curtains, furnace replacements, the switching out of stage flooring and a water heater, along with upgrading fire pump controls, moving a fire hydrant, and topographic surveys.
Work done in-house that is in progress or completed includes an intercom/speaker replacement, interior door glazing, phase one of a secure entrance, interior lock replacement, and a boot rack replacement.
“This is in addition to regular summer tasks such as various inspections, boiler maintenance, gym floor refinishing, graffiti removal and clean up, playground repair and maintenance, grass cutting and lawn maintenance, and furniture moves,” Garner said.
