By Sue Moore
Vicksburg High School is getting a facelift this summer with new windows installed on the east and west sides, new entrances, and a courtyard renovation on the west side. The project is part of the second step in 2014 bond issue for projects to be carried out from 2015 through 2017.
“These windows will utilize daylight in the classrooms which have been partially dark due to a renovation in the mid-‘80s that eliminated all but one small window in each room to save on energy. The beauty of these windows is their different coating and glazing of the double panes with shades embedded between them which can be opened and closed with a little lever in the classroom. We achieve natural day light without sacrificing energy, even improving upon it considerably,” said Nancy Spickett, maintenance supervisor for Vicksburg Schools.
Entrances have been re-designed on both ends of the main east and west corridor with skylights installed in the east entrance for better lighting to greet students and visitors as they enter the building. There will also be security access controls connected to video phones at these main entrances to allow visitors to be buzzed into the building during the day, according to Superintendent Charlie Glaes.
The courtyard on the west side of the high school is being reshaped with better landscaping leading to a more attractive entrance from the parking lot, Spickett said.
The stucco-appearing insulation panels installed during the ‘80s around the windows and exterior of the building had to be replaced because they were de-laminating, creating the opportunity for water infiltration. Insulated metal panels will replace them, again leading to hoped for energy savings because of the higher insulation value in the materials, according to Assistant Superintendent Steve Goss.
Last year a completely new Direct Digital control system was installed for the heating system in the high school building. That in itself has resulted in 30 percent savings in energy costs for the high school, Goss pointed out.
Frederick Construction is the general contractor for the work, guided by the designs of Tower Pinkster Company, the schools’ architecture firm for many years. The cost of the renovation work is estimated to be around $685,000, with $700,000 approved from the bond issue.