NORWICH – After more than a year of planning, bids went out Wednesday for contractors to be included within the $35.3 million Norwich High School building project scheduled to break ground in the coming months. The project will break ground at the high school complex, which in turn might make some high school seniors feel jilted on graduation day.
Throughout the process of getting the building project underway, it was decided the resurfacing of the high school’s Ulrich Field would be among the first projects to tackle, starting as soon as final bids are awarded, possibly within the next four to five weeks. Having construction start on Ulrich Field ultimately means the high school graduation for the class of ‘07 will be moved to Alumni Field, located at Perry Browne Intermediate School. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held inside the high school gymnasium.With the decision made by administration and the end of the school year fast approaching, the prospect of having graduation moved may be tainted with disappointment for some seniors.
“ he feedback I have heard is that students are upset because they have already graduated from Perry Browne once and they feel graductaing from the high school is tradition,” said senior class president Morgan Smith. Smith says there is some diasppointment among her classmates, but also explains she feels graduation should be a happy time and she hopes no hard feelings will be carried along. “As long as the weather is good and it is outside, then I’ll be happy,” she said.
According to the project’s architects, because of the amount of time it will take to do the field, the work must start as soon as possible.
“Even if we wait until next year to do the field, the timeline will be the same and at some point the senior graduation would have to be moved, whether it is this year or next year, the outcome is the same,” said Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan sent a letter home to parents, stating he was sorry for the inconvenience, and he hopes students will find Alumni Field a suitable substitute. He also said the school is printing inserts for graduation announcements with the correct location and they can be picked up in the High School Office.
As construction begins soon, the high school/middle school complex will be redesigned and upgraded in various ways. There will be library, health suite, gym and locker room renovations, health and safety improvements. The school will receive a new all-weather, multi-purpose field, replacement of damaged ceilings, window/door replacements and brick repair, handicap accessibility improvements, paving replacements, auditorium air conditioning replacements, new digital clock system (received by all buildings,) additional perimeter lighting, new technology upgrades, security management system, kitchen equipment upgrades and locker painting and partial replacements.
The middle school will see changes in the movement of sixth grade over from Perry Browne and relocation of administrative offices from the Eaton Center, a creation of new seventh, eighth, and special education classrooms, a new cafeteria/multi-purpose room, enlarged kitchen and serving area, additional music room and computer lab in old cafeteria space, renovation of administration, nurse, and health areas, health and safety improvements, window, door, and roof repairs, asphalt paving repair, improved building ventilation, additional perimeter lighting, new fire alarm system and security management system are all included in the blueprints.