SES building could be complete as early as sometime in October

The construction crew working on the new addition to Straughn Elementary School has had its pace slowed by the weather, but hopes to have it completed sometime in October.

“We are excited,” SES assistant principal Barry Wood said. “It’s a work in progress, but you really can’t rush safety.”

The new addition will house six kindergarten classes and two pre-k classes. It will also serve as a storm shelter for SES and Straughn Middle School.

“This is going to be FEMA rated shelter,” Wood said. “There are 50 tons of rebar and more than 1,000 yards of concrete. It’s going to be very safe. It will be able to sustain winds up to 200 mph.”

The entire building is being built with 12-inch thick walls and will accommodate 1,000 students, which is equivalent to the enrollment of SES and SMS.

The new building is expected to cost $1.7 million.

Wood said that SES and SMS have teamed up to help ease the transition to the new building.

“We are very appreciative of the SMS faculty for partnering up with us and help elevate the stress of the move,” Wood said. “We have relocated some classes over to the middle school to avoid congestion, and we are very appreciative to them for allowing us to do that.”