OBSERVER Photo by Mary Heyl The main entrance to the middle high school is being renovated to include a heated ramp into the building, a courtyard and an improved bus loop for easier, safer access to the building.

SINCLAIRVILLE — Cassadaga Valley Central School faculty and students will be enjoying several significant improvements when they return to school on Sept. 4. The capital improvement project for both the middle/high school and Sinclairville Elementary School is well underway this summer, and there are also improvements planned for next summer.

In addition to the usual summer maintenance, construction projects taking place this summer include new main offices at both schools, redesigned nurse’s office at both schools, improved security at both schools, a new art room at Sinclairville Elementary School, a new roadway out to the football/soccer fields at the high school and more.

According to High School Principal Scott Stutzman, work on the middle/high school building commenced shortly after commencement. On June 25, the Monday after graduation, the school transformed into a major construction zone, and will remain that way throughout the summer months.

Stutzman pointed out the new entrance into the middle/high school building, which will be easier to access and safer for faculty and students.

“All entries into the building will soon be through the main office. Not only will visitors be buzzed in, but they will also be viewed through a double-paned window,” he explained. Stutzman also discussed the plans for the new bus loop, heated ramp into the main entrance and nearby courtyard for students to congregate before and after school.

Recently finished projects include the new floor in the middle/high school gymnasium, which nicely showcases the new logo. Stutzman said additional improvements will include new scoreboards, which will be equipped with video.

Stutzman is particularly looking forward to the improvements being made to the cafeteria. “My vision is for this to be a place where students can come to eat, to rest, to talk and catch up. There’s going to be round tables, cafe-like lighting and closed-captioned TVs where students can watch announcements throughout the day.” Stutzman explained that the new televisions will also be an opportunity for students in the Studio Video class to keep their classmates up-to-date on classroom, athletic, arts and community events.

School Superintendent Charles Leichner said that major school construction will be completed over the summer; however, due to the scope of the project, it is impossible for everything to be completed before September. Leichner explained, “While we would love to have everything done by Sept. 1, we know that is unrealistic…We will be ready with safe and useable space throughout both buildings for the start of the 2018-2019 school year, but will complete the finishing work after school hours in the fall.”

One of the main improvements planned for summer 2019 is the driveway and parking lot space at the elementary school. According to Leichner, “We opted to wait until then to put in a new surface there to prevent all the heavy construction equipment from driving and parking on that new pavement. By waiting a year to do that paving, we will get the inside work done in the elementary building without ruining what will be new driveways and parking lots in Sinclairville.”

Stutzman is looking forward to showing students their newly renovated space, but recognized the importance of the building’s character to many in the district. The main building, which houses most of the high school classrooms, was built in 1939, and its overall look has remained the same for many decades. “We’re changing and updating the building while maintaining the history and its look. There’s a lot of local pride in this building, and we think people are going to be pleased with the improvements.”