CP Smith is receiving 3.1 million from the District’s Safety and Critical Needs Bond. This money will allow for major renovations in our facility that include such upgrades as:

•  total rebuild of the envelope or outer walls of the school
•  a new energy efficient heating system
• all new electrical system to meet the needs of a 21st century school
• new corridors to enter and exit the school
• new fire alarm system and the addition of a sprinkler system
• new lighting that will be sensitive to natural light on automatic dimmers
• skylights in the gym and all hallways
• glass along the top indoor wall of every classroom to allow natural light from the skylights to enter
• new triple pane, clear windows throughout the building
• an entire new and well sized kitchen!
• 2 new handicap accessible bathrooms
• several new office spaces
• air conditioning throughout the building
• And More…

In order to accomplish this huge project there will be some challenges and inconveniences.
We need to be ready to pack-up the building in June to allow the construction to begin. When school is over the teachers in the primary wing will pack up their classrooms and put everything into storage trailers on school property. That wing will be ready to begin school on time in August. The Intermediate wing teachers will also pack up their classrooms in June, but their materials will be transported to the Community Center at St. Marks on North Avenue. Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will begin the school year at the Community Center and remain there until Thanksgiving. We have learned that the cost of doing just one wing of the school at a time is prohibitive, so we will need to move till that wing is complete. The Community Center has enough empty classrooms for us, plus a kitchen, cafeteria, special services space and a bowling alley to boot!
 
This will not be an easy move for any of us but we know it can be done! The district has contracted Helen Hossley, a former Smith PTO president and parent, to help coordinate all the details of the move. We will have a special parent night in January to go over more information with all of you. There will be some short term pain with this project, but the long term gains will benefit Smith for decades to come.