A new school year, a new school

By Anya Tikka
MILFORD — On the first day of school Monday, about 500 students streamed into the new Delaware Valley Elementary School, which is now complete, open, and operating at 500 Avenue S in Matamoras, next to Airport and Veterans Parks.
Enrolled there are students from pre-kindergarten through grade 5.
The school year started with construction still ongoing at the high school main campus. The old, oddly shaped elementary school there, built in 1956, is being torn down while classes are in session at the middle and high schools. Site work at the parking lot continues.
A big part of the upgrade, the new gym building, is almost done, according to an Aug. 15 construction update.
The elementary school project had a budget of $19,118,265, which was revised slightly upward to $19,153,957. The main campus area budget of $8,421,610 was revised to $8,467,978 and is now 86 percent complete.
The new gym complex was found necessary to accommodate the much-larger school population, now up to about 1,600 from 600 when the old gym was built in 1970. Asbestos removal, the demolition of the old elementary school, and other site construction were part of the project, as are a new parking lot, improved parking facilities, and redesigned campus traffic flow. The area will also be used as a playing field for sports practice and games.
The new gym complex will have a new wrestling room, basketball courts, locker rooms, and a new spectator area at the swimming pool, among other improvements.
Other more in-direct benefits will include fewer traffic problems on Routes 6 and 209 when students and faculty arrive and leave, according to DV's website.
The work was contracted to Quandel Construction Group of Harrisburg and BDA Architects of Clarks Summit.
At the high school campus, improvements are on target, due to be completed by Oct. 15. They include curbs and sidewalks, paving, and lighting installation work, as well as the demolition of the old elementary school.
Editor's note: This article has been revised to reflect the correct street name in the new school's address, which was incorrect in the original article. The Courier regrets the error.