ONEONTA’S NEW SUPERINTENDENT:

Construction Incomplete,

Schools Opening Delayed

By JENNIFER HILL • Special to www.ALLOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – For Oneonta public school students, summer can go on a little bit longer.

Students and their families who were ready to go back to school this coming Thursday received a surprising announcement this afternoon by email, text and a robo-phone call from Superintendent Tom Brindley: Opening Day has been delayed until Monday, Sept. 9.

“The classrooms under construction as well as associated hallways in the middle and high school are simply not at a state of completion that makes them ready for students, faculty, and staff,” Brindley’s email stated.

“We were truly optimistic that the overtime efforts of many contractors, as well as our amazing custodians, this holiday weekend would get us to where we needed to be,” his continued, “but we simply need a couple of more days to make these areas safe, presentable, and conducive to teaching and learning.”

The two-day delay in the OCSD’s start date means the Superintendent Conference Days, which Brindley said are important for “professional development and state-mandated training of staff and faculty” will be on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 5 and 6 instead of Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 3 and 4.  Two emergency days will be used for Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving the district with four days instead of six used for cancellations during the school year because of snow or other issues.

“As of last Friday, we were pretty confident the rooms would be ready,” said Brindley.  “But we had a serious delay in receiving our shipments of cabinetry for the classrooms from the manufacturing company in Tennessee.  And we still had electrical work and tile repair to do, and had to make sure all systems were working.”

“A lot of it has been outside of our control,” he added.  “But it was clear to me today after meeting it was not safe or practical to have students and teachers come to school this week.  It was not a decision we wanted to make,” he added.

Brindley, who has been the district’s superintendent only since July 1, following Joseph Yerlich’s retirement after six years in the position, explained the entire front part of the Oneonta Middle/High School building has undergone major renovation since the start of summer.

“The whole front of the school was gutted – from the main entrance in the high school to the middle school’s health office,” Brindley said.  “The walls of all the classrooms on the front side came down, and we’re essentially rebuilding the classrooms and putting in new furniture and state-of-the-art equipment.”

The classrooms being rebuilt and newly equipped include ones for art, technology, family and constructive sciences, and musical instrumental lessons, he said.

Brindley believed “a favorable environment for school building projects” was the overall reason for delays in receiving equipment.

“The economy is strong, so the building trade is stretched thin,” he said.  “I think the manufacturing company in Tennessee was overwhelmed by orders from schools all over the country.”

Brindley described the district as “lucky” for being able to get high-quality contractors to work on the High/Middle School renovation.

“Some schools have had to put their building projects on hold for a year or more because they couldn’t get enough bids on them,” he said.

But Brindley was emphatic when asked if there would be any further delays starting school.

“We are starting Monday,” he said.  “And we’re looking forward to seeing all of our students on September 9.”