ST. GEORGE — School administration and county officials responded to parents and students who attend Enterprise High School after residents started voicing concerns on social media over construction.
St. George News received emails from concerned parents about the issue, as well. Principal Calvin Holt sent a letter to parents recently on the safety of the school as it is under remodel construction. Part of the growing concern was the beginning of school on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
As the letter reads, “First of all, please know that it is completely safe for students to return to school. Several air and water quality tests have been conducted and we have been deemed safe for occupancy by the state fire marshal. We would never put your children at risk if it wasn’t safe to be in the building. The safety and protection of your kids is top priority and if I didn’t think it was safe to hold school, I would be the first one in line fighting for our students.”
Washington School District Director of Communication Steve Dunham said in a personal interview that the remodel has been in the works for a year now. Plans have been shared with the public multiple times through various methods of communication, he noted.
“It is interesting, when we started this project the parents knew this was an extensive remodel,” Dunham said. “We put together a plan showing parents that it had multiple phases and that this project was going to take multiple years.”
The project started in June 2022 with plans to wrap up the first phase soon, which will include completion of a new lunchroom and commons area. The new building that will house classrooms for music and family and consumer sciences is scheduled to be completed in December. The whole project is slated to end in 2025.
The second phase includes the removal of the front of the building which is adding office suites and improving the security of the building, Dunham added. Right now the front of the building appears to have a large hole which seems like anyone can walk in and out easily.
Holt says this is not true as “walls have been built inside the school to keep the construction site secure as well as to prevent unwanted visitors having access to the building.”
Concerns have also been about how students are to get into the school with the front under construction.
Dunham said there are multiple entrances into the building so students can still access the learning areas of Enterprise High. He said the construction areas will be sealed off so students will not be able to enter.
Dunham said that on a project this extensive, they have to certify that all systems and state building codes are up-to-date and in compliance, due to laws that are in place. Some surprises may delay the project, such as the case of a new sewer line that was not anticipated.
Luckily, the contractors are still on schedule, but other things could be discovered that could potentially delay the project, he noted.
Dunham said another issue that may cause some delay that is beyond their control is supply line issues.
“We obviously have had significant supply line issues for the last several years and that could come into play with this project because it is a big project,” he said.
Regarding the concern of the building containing asbestos, the administration responded there is none.
“I think people make assumptions,” Dunham said. “Even if there is asbestos, work would stop in that area and it will have to be immediately remediated by a professional state-approved company.”
Dunham said that when parents see claims on social media or hear things, to call school administrators or the Washington County School District and not rely on gossip.
“We hope our parents will do two things for us,” he said “Number one, be patient this is a big, big project for Enterprise High and when it is done it’s going to be spectacular. Number two, please, please don’t foster the rumors on social media.”
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