Will River Oaks School open on time?

Will River Oaks Middle School open on time?

By John Charles Robbins

Pop quiz.
Multiple-choice answers.
Q. Will brand new River Oaks Middle School begin classes on Aug. 20 with the rest of the schools in Dorchester District Two?
(a) Yes.
(b) No.
(c) Maybe.
The correct answer depends on whom you talk to.
Southern Management Group (SMG), the firm overseeing the flock of contractors scurrying to complete the middle school — and its companion Eagle Nest Elementary at Appian Way — insist River Oaks will be done in time for teachers to enter Aug. 15.
District Two officials, wary of the promises and concerned about the dwindling days, decided to delay the start of classes.
On Wednesday, the first day of registration at all District Two schools, parents registering their children for River Oaks Middle School were being informed of an extended summer vacation.
The night before, Superintendent Joe Pye decided to delay the start of classes one week, moving the date to Monday, Aug. 27.
"Every date in the last few weeks (promised by SMG) we've not met ... things are out of our control," Pye said Wednesday.
He noted the start of registration and said the parents deserved an answer to the question: Will the new school open on time?
Pye said the building itself may be completed, but the district has to have enough time for administrators and teachers to set up their offices and rooms.
"The school has to be furnished, and has to be safe for students and teachers," said Pye.
"I want to err on the side of the children, and not have confusion, so instruction can start on the first day of school ... instead of having teachers still unpacking boxes," the superintendent said.
"Construction says they'll be done — if so I'll be the happiest man in the whole United States," said Pye.
The construction managers continue to be optimistic that everything will fall into place in the coming days.
"We've been through this before," said Paul Moscati, Southern Management vice president, speaking of 11th hour crunch time building new schools and having them approved by state inspectors.
A state inspector from the Office of School Facilities did not approve an occupancy permit for the new two-story middle school, and instead left a list of items still needing attention.
"There are no major items [yet to complete], no extreme items. Its a lot of little things," Moscati said.
He is convinced those items will be finished by Monday, Aug. 13, at which time he plans to call back the state inspector to get a verbal okay to occupy the school.
Moscati said he would have preferred if District Two officials had waited until next week to decide on a possible delay, however, he said he understands the pressure they are facing.
"They have to do what they feel is necessary," he said.
Moscati added, with a little punch to his words, "There is no doubt in my mind that this building will be ready by Monday."
The work crews got a bit good news Wednesday as a shipment of large glass windows arrived one day earlier than expected, he said. Builders began installing the big panels in the two-story entrance lobby of River Oaks.
"All along we've said, the readiness of the building itself will not delay the start of school, and we are still saying that," Moscati said late Wednesday.
Pye did say he hasn't ruled out returning to the original Aug. 20 date as the start of classes at River Oaks.
Speaking of the promises of the builders, Pye said, "Nothing has happened the way they said it would happen ... but if, by some miracle, they do get us in there, then we could go back to the original schedule."
Stay tuned.