GILES COUNTY, Va. – Last Tuesday, Giles County schools returned from summer break after a two-week delay. Schools in the district were still under construction to address some much-needed improvements.
The renovation process began during the last school year, but Giles County school superintendent Marlin Campbell says there were a few key issues that needed to be cleared up.
“We’ve got all five of our school buildings undergoing pretty significant renovation projects. Things like new HVAC, air conditioning and heating in all the buildings, new roofs, new windows and new doors.”
Marlin Campbell, superintendent, Giles County Public Schools
As the start of the school year approached, Giles County decided a two-week delay was necessary to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all.
“That two-week delay in the school year allowed us to get to a point where we could welcome back all of our kids, all of our faculty and staff in a way that kind of maintains that magical first day of school feel for everybody.”
Marlin Campbell, superintendent, Giles County Public Schools
The most prominent renovation is to the entryways, installing new security checkpoints for visitors.
“This is a system that will allow folks that are visiting our buildings to enter the building, interact with the folks in the office space, verify identity, need to visit, before they are allowed general entrance into the office or other parts of the school building.”
Marlin Campbell, superintendent, Giles County Public Schools
Giles County schools still plan on the same end date despite the delays, but needed to slightly change the school schedule to accommodate.
“Our school day already exceeds the required length. So, we’ll log more than enough instructional hours to meet the legal requirement for the school year. Two or three of the teacher days, teacher work days rather, that we had in place we turned into student days. So, we feel very confident we’ll have the necessary amount of instructional time for our students in the school calendar as is.”
Marlin Campbell, superintendent, Giles County Public Schools
Construction is expected to continue throughout the school year, with further exterior renovations expected next summer.