SILVER CREEK — Phase III of Silver Creek Central School’s $17.6 million capital construction project will soon be underway, as board of education members heard the latest updates on the project at last week’s meeting.

According to Superintendent Todd Crandall, “We’re slated to break ground on the new six-classroom addition to the elementary school on July 1. We’ll also be moving the nursing suite to a temporary location within the building as we begin remodeling that area, too.” In August, work is planned to begin on the new bays in the bus garage.

“We’re really excited,” said Crandall of Phase III. “It’s been over two years in the making to take this extensive next step.” Phase III involves substantial outdoor work, said Crandall, but the goal is to get as much exterior work completed and enclosed before winter so that interior work can continue during the school year. “With the classrooms and bus bays, we’re hoping for a February 2020 completion, and possibly December 2019 for the renovated nurse’s suite,” he explained.

Crandall is pleased that the work of Phase I — data cabling and wiring for the new phone system and security cameras — has been completed, and that Phase II will soon be done.

“We’ve taken a week off from the roof work for students’ exams this week,” Crandall told the OBSERVER, “but we hope to complete that and the extensive work we’ve been doing to the parking lots and sidewalks by July 1.”

Crandall explained that local and Regents exams are coming up, and the last day of the school year is Tuesday, June 25. “I encourage students to stay focused for the end of the year and to enjoy all of their end-of-year activities,” said Crandall. The superintendent was pleased to share that the district will be offering summer school and driver’s education classes this year, and that swim lessons will once again be a part of the summer offerings. Registration is now open for the Summer Swim Program, which runs from July 8 through Aug. 8 and is open to children ages five and up who are residents of the Silver Creek and Forestville school districts.

The next meeting of the Silver Creek Board of Education is Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m. in the board of education room.