The Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District invited community members to celebrate the completion of its 2019 capital project with a ribbon cutting and open house at J-D Middle School.
A group of students, families, staff, administration, and local representatives filled the renovated library on Tuesday, June 6. Superintendent Peter Smith, Board of Education President Lori DeForest, and J-D Middle School Principal Andy Eldridge said a few words about the project, thanking everyone who helped make it a reality.
Superintendent Peter Smith gave a heartfelt thank you to the families of former School Business Administrator Timothy Decker and LeChase employee Rick Boxall. Both Tim and Rick played instrumental roles in the 2019 capital project. They both passed from brief illnesses during the project, never getting to see it come to fruition.
“Shortly before he got sick, Tim took the entire district office staff on a tour of each of the construction sites to show them what was going on and to have them share in his excitement. It is an absolute tragedy that Tim is not with us today as he would have loved this event” said Superintendent Peter Smith.
Following the ribbon cutting, excited groups of middle school students led small tours throughout the building. The reconfiguration of houses for grades 6 through 8, the updated library, and new bathrooms were just a few of the projects highlighted. Some before and after photos were on display to further show the transformation. This was the first major renovation to the building since it opened in 1967.
“This is such an exciting time for the district. Although our maintenance team takes fantastic care of our school facilities – there will always be wear and tear – not to mention the changing demands of security, energy efficiency, and technology. The capital project is keeping J-D on track to provide the best learning environment as possible for all of our students.” said Superintendent Peter Smith.
District residents approved the $33 million capital project back in December 2019, and construction began in June of 2021. The project aimed to make district-wide improvements. A new STEAM space, class updates, and renovations to broadcast, media, and studio areas were completed at the high school. The building also saw a number of critical maintenance updates. Work was also done at all three elementary schools, including a renovated entryway at Moses DeWitt. The bus garage had some site improvements made as well.
Special thanks to everyone who has played a role in turning this project into a reality including Ashley McGraw Architects, LeChase Construction, Sage Engineering Associates, Place Engineering, Keplinger Freeman Associates, MCK Building Associates, Bellucci Enterprises, Cunningham Excavation, Crosby-Brownlie, Ridley Electric, the Administration, Board of Education, and the community.
We also have to give our students, staff, and faculty in each of our buildings a special shoutout for learning, teaching, and working in a construction zone. Thank you for putting up with the dirt and dust – it was worth it!
The full scope of the project and financial details are outlined on the district website.