High school students could occupy new building after winter break

A major construction project to renovate and replace portions of the Chartiers Valley High School/ Middle School complex is nearing completion, with students expected to occupy the high school following winter break in January.

“We are looking forward to a modern, progressive building which will provide our district the tools it needs to meet the educational needs of our students and community as they grow through the 21st century,” said Chartiers Valley School District Superintendent Johanna Vanatta.

The process began in 2013 when the district began looking into ways to reduce utility and maintenance costs. At that time, the district determined it needed to either significantly renovate or replace the high school and middle school complex, which was built in 1973.

Construction on the approximately$94 million project began in May 2016.

The high school and middle school are connected with a skywalk so that space can be shared.

The middle school portion of the project, which is all new construction, is in its final phases and students and staff have been in the space since last year.

In the new middle school, classrooms are grouped by subject in “towers,” a concept that differed from the former middle school.

District spokesperson Mikaela Duckstein said most of the first phase of the high school project is completed and the second phase will be finished in December. Staff is expected to move to the new building during winter break.

Part of the existing high school will remain, including the auditorium, which has been renovated and will be shared with the middle school.

The final phase of the project is demolition of the old high school cafeteria and old high school classroom and administration building.

The school was designed by IKM Inc., a Downtown-Pittsburgh architecture firm and BLRB Architects of Washington state. The general contractor for the middle school project is Mucci Construction of Smock and the high school’s general contractor is Rycon Inc. of Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects recently honored the middle school and IKM Inc. with a certificate of merit at its 2018 design awards for the school’s open floor plans that emphasize communal and collaborative learning.