Working around the construction crews working around Decorah High School

A recent school board tour of the high school construction

Having construction going on at Decorah High School while students are in the classrooms is not the ideal situation, of course.  But Decorah School Superintendent Mike Haluska says the high school is doing a good job of coping with the challenges.

One challenge is the noise.  Sometimes the construction work does get loud--so teachers have been given the ability to move their classes to the high school auditorium or some other quieter place.  It's far from an ideal situation, but Haluska says the staff and teachers are making it work.

The contractor for the high school addition, Larson Construction, has air quality monitors to make sure there aren't any problems.  The tests are done any time school officials ask for one--especially if they have any reason to believe there might be an air quality problem.

Last week presented some unusual problems.  The back portion of the art room was demolished to make room for new facilities.  That meant students saw construction workers in hazmat suits removing roofing material.

The Decorah School Board has been getting group tours of the construction before school board meetings.  In addition to the tours, every single member of the school board has toured the building during school hours this year, says Haluska, so they know about conditions inside the high school during construction.