School construction months ahead of schedule

By ALEX STRICKLAND / Bigfork Eagle

School officials are anticipating being able to move into the new additions to Bigfork Elementary School shortly after Christmas break, more than two months ahead of schedule.Bigfork School District Superintendent Russ Kinzer said the sixth grade classrooms and administration area should be ready in early January, with the cafeteria portion of the additions not far behind. That bests original estimates that put the project's completion in March.It looks like we're going to be a couple of months ahead of schedule, he said. There is some cost-savings in that, which is yet to be determined. We'll put that money back into the building to fund things we initially cut out.Kinzer said finishing up work around the site, playgrounds and parking lots would still probably not be completed until spring, since much of that work will be dependent on weather conditions.The weather has, so far, been good to the crews working on the school. It's been in our favor, Kinzer said, attributing some of the speedy progress to better-than-expected conditions.Kinzer said that even after classrooms and administrative offices are occupied, there is likely to be small finishing and cleanup work throughout the spring, but that all in all, the project is turning out well.For the most part we're in really good shape, he said.