Benton-Carroll-Salem School Superintendent Guy Parmigian has announced that the school district has a final design for the new grades 4-6 addition on the campus of R.C. Waters Elementary.

Finalizing the design marks a great milestone for B-C-S, as the new addition will be a new platform — a new “launch pad” —for providing exceptional educational experiences for all students for decades to come, said Parmigian.

“Thanks to the input of administration, staff and board members, I am proud that the design provides an efficient and effective solution to our facilities needs. The design creates value for students, staff and taxpayers,” he said.

The next step includes finalizing the site plan and traffic (human and vehicle) flow for the campus. Following this, a committee will consider paint colors, case work, and other interior design features.

The school district’s plan is to go out for bids on this construction project in May, and groundbreaking will occur in July.

The school district is planning to move the 7th grade into their new home at Oak Harbor High School in August. This transition to the high school provides a great opportunity for staff to provide a big ‘win’ for students relative to programming, curriculum, and overall experiences.

Plug Smart is in the process of completing the final engineering to install a new VRF heating/cooling system within the existing R.C. Waters building. Added to this new system will be two robust air units that will bring in outside/fresh air into the building to promote the healthy circulation of air.

The project is set to be completed by Aug. 1.

The Board and Administration, said Parmigian, are committed to developing a 5-Year Plan for the renovation of the existing R.C. Waters facility. The development of this plan has not yet begun, but will include a multi-point evaluation of the existing facility, including flooring, windows, casework, lighting, communications and storage.