By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Work on three Hillsboro school projects originally expected to be done before school resumes in August is continuing.

Planned replacement of windows in the 1938 high school building was postponed because of shipping delays. That work could end up extending to after the start of the school year.

Repair of ceilings and walls will be part of the work,

The good thing is window replacement will cause only minimal disruption to classes, Hillsboro superintendent Clint Corby said.

“When they get started on a classroom, it will take one day,” he said.

New lighting in the school’s auditorium will mean spectators won’t have to walk into a darkened theater.

Lights sometimes didn’t work when switches were turned on, Corby said.

“It’s just a phenomenal difference,” Corby said. “Just to be able to walk in and see is very good.”

New freezers installed in the school’s kitchen mean less food loss, he said.

“Now the doors actually close all the way,” Corby said. “Those freezers were over 40 years old. We’ve had a couple of times over the years where things went down and we’ve had to replace food.”

Runways for long jump, triple jump, and pole vault were installed at the stadium. Tabor College paid half the cost of work.

Marion

Marion schools soon will start their own work on sports facilities.

New locker rooms, a new concession stand, and new lighting at baseball and softball fields are planned.

Justin Wasmuth, the district’s new superintendent and former elementary principal, expects work to begin in November and be completed by August 2024.

He has three main focuses for the coming school year.

“The first is to work and improve on communication between the district, schools, parents, students and community,” he said. “We have to really push out information about what is happening in and around the district and allow for better transparency and knowledge with everyone.”

He plans to build cohesion between the elementary, middle, and high schools to address issues caused by COVID-19 isolation of the district’s schools.

“Now we have to get back to having a K-12 vision and working together in achieving the same goals,” he said.

He wants to use more data and research in showing how students are doing in classrooms.

“This will allow for better communication, professional development and goal-setting within the schools and district,” Wasmuth said.