Even as construction workers seek to finish the two new buildings under construction at Andalusia City Schools, administrators are under pressure to make sure the transition of students from the current Andalusia Middle School is flawless.

Superintendent Ted Watson told board members Monday night that the new sixth grade wing at AES will be completed before school is out, giving teachers and administrators time to move over the summer.

The addition to Andalusia High School that will house seventh and eighth graders is taking longer for several reasons, Watson said.

First, the building has more square footage; secondly, the AHS addition has two stories; and it also has a safe room that had to be “hardened” to serve as a storm shelter. Those factors combined to make that addition a bigger project.

AMS students will move to AHS at the semester break next year. Still, their schedules must be aligned when school starts.

For instance, administrators already know that middle school students won’t be on the block schedule currently used at AHS.

“Whether they decide on an eight-period day or a seven-period day, the schedules have to line up,” Watson said.

Things like band times have to be determined so that the schedule works after the move. Similarly, the AMS band director has to be able to go to AES to teach band.

AMS principal Victoria Anderson will remain at the current campus first semester, and will become an assistant principal at AHS when the two schools are merged. Once administrative moves are made and the schools are completely merged, Watson said, there will be a principal, two assistant principals, and two guidance counselors and both AES and AHS.