KELLY CONSTRUCTION MOVING ON SCHEDULE

BENTON -- Construction of a new gymnasium at Thomas Kelly Schools in Benton is on schedule, said Superintendent Michael Johnson.

The gym is set to be completed by Dec. 1.

Bids on the school's heating and air conditioning improvements are scheduled to be opened tonight. The contractor should be able to start work on that project immediately, Johnson said.

"There have been no delays," Johnson said. "It's just slow getting started. That's just the way it goes with this type of project.

"You've got to order all of your supplies and you don't get steel beams over night. We are waiting on things to come in."

Johnson said the old gym has been razed and work on the new gym is being started. "They are starting with the walls now."

"We had hoped it would be done earlier," he said. "But Dec. 1 is what was in the bid."

While the gymnasium is out of commission, Johnson said, high school physical education will be held outside. In bad weather, classroom instruction is planned.

All the junior high school basketball games scheduled in October and November will have to be played away. The team will practice in the elementary multipurpose room.

The district has a limited amount of air conditioning, which is operational like last year. The heating system is also operational.

"We will be replacing heating and adding air conditioning on a room-by-room basis," he said. "If need be, we will work on weekends and at night."

Bridger Construction is doing the work on the gymnasium.

"Building a school is not like building a house. The time lines are completely different," he said.