Construction delays requires relocation of around 245 Fort Smith elementary students

Because of construction delays at Ballman Elementary School in Fort Smith, Ballman students will begin the school year at Fairview Elementary School when they return to the classroom Aug. 14.

Plans to relocate approximately 245 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and 50 staff members from Ballman Elementary,2601 S Q St., to Fairview Elementary, 2400 S. Dallas St, are underway. According to a news release, district personnel are working overtime to communicate the new plan with families and ensure the Fairview facility is ready for Ballman’s students and staff.

“The safety and security of all students and staff are at the center of our plans, and we can confirm that the Fairview campus and storm shelter has ample accommodations for all students and staff,” said Shari Cooper, district director of communications. “The teachers, including the principals from Ballman, are being moved into Fairview to ensure the rooms are ready and all accommodations are made.”

Ballman pre-kindergarten students will be relocated to Tilles Elementary School, 815 N. 16th St., while construction is completed. Transportation arrangements from Ballman to Fairview have been planned to minimize disruption, according to the district. The district said parents who usually drive to Ballman Elementary should plan to drop-off and pick-up their child at Fairview Elementary.

Ballman students who walk or ride the bus to Ballman will now be bussed to Fairview. Students will gather in front of the Ballman storm shelter to catch the bus. Fairview Elementary has devised a traffic flow system for drop-offs and pick-ups, supported by safety patrol teams and school resource officer assistance, the news release said. Parents who would normally take their pre-K child to Ballman will need to take them to Tilles Elementary. Pre-k bus transportation is not provided by the district, the district noted.

“Parents who pick up a child at Ramsey and Fairview, are strongly encouraged to first pick up their child at Ramsey first to avoid making left-hand turns off of the adjacent Fairview campus. All drivers in the area (along Dallas Street between Jenny Lind Road and Country Club Avenue) are urged to exercise caution and adhere to reduced speed limits for what is anticipated to be a congested area,” the news release said.

While both Ballman and Fairview staff members will continue to provide instruction and support to their respective students in separate classrooms, Ballman and Fairview students will be able to socialize with one another in the cafeteria and on the playground, the news release said.

“Our staff sees this as a great opportunity to develop new friendships and learning experiences,” Cooper said. “The challenges we anticipate include additional traffic off Dallas Street. We strongly encourage thru-traffic to avoid Dallas during school drop-off and pick-up times.”

Ballman office phone lines will be redirected to Fairview Elementary in order to avoid interrupted communication for parents and stakeholders, the news release said.

The construction work at Ballman Elementary School began in April with a completion date slated for Aug. 15. Shawn Shaffer, executive director for facilities and operations, said the project could take up to an additional three months, meaning students might remain at the alternate campuses until close to the Thanksgiving break. He said the ongoing work on the new installation of a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system caused the construction delay.

“Despite the construction manager’s efforts to complete the work before the start of the school year, the completion timeline had to be extended due to the finalization of ductwork and the evaluation testing associated with the new equipment. We understand the inconveniences this delay causes and we sincerely appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our students, parents, and staff,” Shaffer said.

The $2,550,000 HVAC project impacts approximately 60,000 square feet of classroom space at Ballman. The Fort Smith School District received about $52.2 million to spend on projects related to the pandemic, from the Elementary Secondary School Relief 2 Fund and the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund. The district designated about $14.6 million to improve air quality, including replacing HVAC systems at many of the district’s campuses.

The Ballman project, along with the Kimmons Middle School and Park Elementary, were permitted through the Fort Smith planning department in February. C.R. Crawford Construction is the construction company for the project.

Scott Archer with HSA Engineering, which did the lead design on the project, addressed the FSPS school board July 17, giving an update on the construction at Ballman in the absence of a representative from C.R. Crawford. He said ductwork in the gymnasium was complete at that time with a temporary packaged HVAC unit installed until the permanent one was ready. The east wing HVAC unit and copper wire was done and the ceiling grid was complete, Archer said in July.

“This building used to be a two-pipe system with boiler heat and … chillers. We have decommissioned all of that and taken that out and replaced it with a VRV system, which has just fan-coil units attached to outdoor air-cooled condensers,” Archer said.

The Ballman project includes five rooftop units, three of which are dedicated outside air units, he said. On July 17, about 90% to 95% of the duct work was complete and crews were setting and tying into the outside air unit on the main hallway, Archer said.

“They were working on setting the east wing outside air unit Friday and today. So that should be tied in,” Archer said, adding that crews were beginning the work on the west wing, including ductwork and installation of the copper and the units.

“The cafeteria and auditorium are not started yet. The idea was to complete all of the classroom space and occupied spaces and push the work for the cafeteria and the auditorium towards the end, so we can get kids back in school when school starts and if any work has to be done on those other areas, it can be done at that time,” Archer said at the July 17 board meeting.

Cooper said the district is investigating the variables related to the construction delay.

“We are working with the contractor to get those details, and right now, our number one priority is to ensure that students and staff are taken care of so they have a great first day at school,” Cooper said.