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The building site at Sterling High School is buzzing with activity these days as construction is progressing on the school’s new 21^st century building.

To date, the drilled foundation piers are 95% complete; the underground electrical, plumbing, storm and sanitary sewer installation is in progress; and the building pad is complete and ready for concrete to be poured in the coming weeks.

“It has been a rainy couple of months, but we have a plan to get back on schedule when that happens; we work weekends if needed,” said Glenn Groda, construction superintendent for the Sterling project. “We’re on schedule and plan to pour concrete for the pads later this month, and start setting the walls in mid-April.”

The school, one of 40 being rebuilt or renovated under the district’s $1.89 billion bond program, is designed to emphasize Sterling’s aviation program and will prominently feature an airplane hangar as its centerpiece. Designed to accommodate 1,600 to 1,800 students and support the latest technology, the campus will also include state-of-the-art science labs, numerous learning commons areas, and flexible classroom spaces.

The project is on track to be completed by the end of 2016, which allows for move-in to take place over winter break, and for students to attend classes in the new building in January 2017. Demolition of the existing building, along with construction of ball fields and parking lots will be completed in the third quarter of 2017.

Other schools in Group 1 of the district’s bond program are also making construction progress, including South Early College High School and Grady Middle School.

• At Grady, site demolition and underground storm sewer work has been completed; concrete for 124 piers has been poured; and currently grade beams are being excavated and underground plumbing and electrical work is underway. The project is expected to go vertical during the summer months and is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2015, with move-in taking place over winter break.
• At South Early, workers are in the process of clearing and grading the site to remove about 17 feet of dirt from the back end of the property. In the coming months, underground utilities will be installed, and the foundation will be laid. This project is also expected to go vertical in the summer months, and it is on track to be completed in the first quarter of 2016.