Pearl River High School's New Classrooms Under Construction

Pearl River School District Director of Operations Quinton Van Wynen called the construction of the four new classrooms at the high school a "Race to Labor Day."

Though significant work remains on the classrooms, which are being built in the space formerly occupied by the district administration, Van Wynen was still hopeful that they can be ready by the time classes start Sept. 5, two days after the holiday.

"I'm still optimistic they will be ready for day one," Van Wynen said. "If not, it will be punch list items. The classes scheduled for there will be put into other rooms temporarily for a few days. It's going to be close, but I think we might make it." 

The need for more classrooms at Pearl River High School provided one of the motivations when the district purchased its property on Crooked Hill Road. The administration moved into the new offices last December, but much of the work of gutting the old offices and converting them to classrooms had to wait until the summer.

In addition to the four classrooms, there will also be male and female faculty restrooms, a small meeting room and two small offices in that part of the building.

The new additions were initially going to be technology classrooms, but the district announced that the technology rooms would stay where they are and the new rooms would be regular instructional classrooms in June. They are being built in a way that could allow for conversion in the future.

There were delays early in the process.

"It's the way it goes with construction," Van Wynen said. "There were some delays with the asbestos work, which is early in the process, which put pressure on all of the trades since the middle of July to push forward and get things done. We are almost on schedule."

Van Wynen took Patch through the new rooms Friday and said he was hopeful that the workers would be able to catch up over the weekend. 

"It's never over until it's over," Van Wynen said. "There is always something you are waiting for. We are lucky with the contractors that they are not trying to do a couple of jobs at once. They are dedicated to our job." 

That job is not the only change in the building. The district's athletic office had been in the hallway near the new classrooms, but it was moved to a larger space near Pirate Cove.