Crews at Mexico High School have performed work recently that is necessary but not readily visible to students, staff and patrons entering the school.

That work? Roofing.

More readily visible work can be found this summer at Mexico Middle School, where renovations are happening in administrative offices and kitchen, and site work has started on an addition of four classrooms. Rooftop HVAC units at the middle school also will be replaced over the summer. 

“I don't know if we have them exactly identified yet,” Mexico Public Schools Superintendent Troy Lentz said in June about what academic subjects the middle school classrooms will be used for. “But we have some classrooms and some spaces that have been chopped up to make offices.”

The building was constructed in the 1970s, and that was before classrooms for certain subjects and services were considered, Lentz said. 

“There’s just more people in school than they’re used to be,” he said, adding that the new classrooms will help with space needs. 

Substantial completion date for the middle school additions and kitchen is December, and the administrative offices’ substantial completion date is Aug. 8, before classes begin in August. Lentz noted that the district’s food service department has a plan to prepare meals at other sites and bring the food to MMS in the fall semester.  

Lentz led the Ledger on a tour of campuses in June as he showed how progress is being made this summer on projects from the 2024 school bond package. First day of classes is Aug. 20. In his report to the school board in May, Lentz said construction schedules can be often altered by weather, equipment shipments and other unforeseen circumstances. 

During the June board meeting, Lentz gave an update on all of the projects.

At the middle school, demolition on the middle school office is complete, with construction of the new office and the secure entrance beginning soon, Lentz’s June report stated. 

“The new office will feature a lobby with a transaction window,” the report stated. “Office staff will be able to control access from outside the building into the lobby and access from the lobby to the rest of the building.”

At McMillan Early Learning Center, work on the new playground began this summer. The goal is to finish the playground before school begins. Lentz said the former playground, which was demolished, was not age appropriate, as the monkey bars were too high or the areas were too large. Children ages 3-4 and kindergartners attend the school. 

At the high school, between the softball and soccer fields, site prep work has started on a building that will house concessions, storage areas and restrooms. The concession building’s substantial completion is set for December. The softball field recently received a new artificial surface, batting cages and a bullpen area for the opposing team. Site prep work for the tennis courts will begin soon.

Crews will perform roofing work on Emmons Hall, the athletic complex and Gooch Gym throughout the summer at the high school. HVAC replacement work will be conducted at the high school.

At Hawthorne Elementary, a new surface - pour in place rubber surfacing - will be installed for the playground. That same kind of surface will also be used at Eugene Field’s and MELC’s playground surfaces.

“It’s an alternative to mulch and it’s an alternative to pea gravel,” Lentz said about the surface.

Roofing work will continue throughout the summer at Eugene Field, and besides the playground surface, work on new fencing will begin this summer. The fencing at Eugene Field will go around the playground, Lentz said.