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Trades erecting bigger, better Marysville High

Date Posted: January 8 2010

MARYSVILLE – Marysville High School has traditionally been the center of community activities, since the city lacks a conventional downtown area.

That focus on the high school won’t change when the new academic year starts in September – but the high school itself is going to be much different. In fact, students will be going to be a brand new building.

McCarthy & Smith Construction Services and the building trades are in the process of erecting a new school that will replace the existing building, which opened in 1930. The 238,000 square-foot new high school, under construction on land just east of the existing building, will include 25 general classrooms, eight science labs, eight specialty media centers and four computer labs, plus new and improve cafeteria space and common areas.

“The community is very excited about the new school,” said Marysville Schools Superintendent John Silveri. “The existing high school has much less room, has lots of nooks and crannies, and has crowded, narrow halls. It just doesn’t meet our needs any longer, and we would have had to sink a lot of money into it.”

Plans call for the old high school to be demolished after this school year. Athletic fields will be built on a substantial portion of the old school’s footprint. The new Marysville High School and its reconfigured campus will get to spread out over 34.5 acres.

Constructing the new high school, plus renovations to one middle school and three elementary schools are being performed under a $74.6 million bond issue approved by district voters. Silveri said the new high school building incorporates wish list items that have been taken from other school designs, like flexible classroom space, interactive white boards in all classrooms, improved air quality and plenty of natural light.

The new building will include a swimming pool, an auditorium seating 970, and both main and auxiliary gymnasiums with a total of six basketball and six volleyball courts. The building is expected to serve a high school population of 750 next year, with the capacity to serve 915.

Doug Underwood is the senior project manager on the job for McCarthy and Smith, working with field superintendents Keith Bowman and Brian MacAskill. Underwood said “it’s a very tight sight, there’s a lot going on and it’s a challenge to fit everything.” Not only is there an active high school next door, but the project leaders also have to account for the installation of some 49 miles of underground geothermal loop piping that will help heat and cool the building. That system is expected to save the school district about $80,000 a year in heating and cooling costs.

“The tradespeople and the contractors are performing well and doing a good job out here,” said MacAskill. “You walk through and you can see the quality is there. This will be a nice, well-built building.

“This is a big deal for the community,” Silveri said. “People here really identify with the school district and are really fired up about the new high school. I get stopped constantly and asked about how it’s coming along.”