SILVER CREEK — Silver Creek Central School Superintendent Todd Crandall is looking forward to breaking ground on Phase 2 of the $17.6 million capital project this summer, which he announced during the December meeting of the board of education.

Phase 1 of the project, which involved data cabling for the new phone and security camera system, began this fall, and is expected to be completed by July 1. Phase 2 involves roofing, sidewalks, the parking lot and other outdoor site work; the bidding for these projects opens on Jan. 17. Following the end of the school year, work on Phase 2 will begin in July.

Phase 3, which is the remainder of the project, involves the construction of new elementary school classrooms, renovations to middle school and special educational offices, a new nurse’s suite, locker room and rest room renovations and more.

Of these plans, Crandall reported, “They have been submitted to New York state and submitted for third party expedited review, which means we should get approval back in approximately four or five weeks, which we are hopeful will enable us to go out for a spring 2019 bid.”

Crandall shared photos from the recent Shoes for Africa drive, which occurred in the middle/high school. A presenter/motivational speaker recently challenged the students to take on the kindness challenge, which resulted in multiple “think kindness” activities including the shoe drive. Due to the drive, 200 children in Africa will have appropriate footwear to attend school; other shoes, including boots, will be distributed to children in need in the community.

Crandall also congratulated the seventeen junior and senior students who were inducted into the district’s National Honor Society chapter during the evening of Nov. 29, which was followed by a morning ceremony on Dec. 7 that was attended by the entire high school student body.

Currently, the school district is in the process of applying for federal impact aid, which is offered to school districts with a high percentage of students living on Native American lands. In addition to providing support for educational programs, the aid often offers tax relief to households in the district, as Seneca Nation properties are not part of the school tax roll. The special impact aid public hearing is set for Thursday, Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. in the Silver Creek Central School board room and will be followed by a regular board of education meeting at 7 p.m.