Markham Colocation Update, April 2
Dear Markham families,
We hope that you had a restful and restorative Spring Break.
We understand that our previous message about the shift in Markham’s reopening timeline left everyone with a great deal to think about. We wanted to take this opportunity to:
Provide more information about portable classrooms.
Seek your input about those classrooms via a family survey.
Invite you to a community meeting in which we will discuss the results of the survey.
Give an update on remediation and reconstruction at the Markham school building.
Portable Classroom Update
District teams and facilities staff have been working hard to prepare the Hayhurst Elementary campus for the portable classrooms meant to serve four sections of Markham students and staff for the remainder of the school year.
Workers are currently in the process of installing a power pole and readying the site for internet service. The units are scheduled to arrive at Hayhurst on April 8, 9, and 10.
The next phase of work includes equipping the units with accessibility ramps, anchoring them to the ground, and finalizing power and technology hookups. We estimate that the classrooms will be ready to welcome students and staff in late April or early May, depending on a number of factors, including the timing of city-mandated safety inspections. We are doing everything we can to expedite this process, but setting up portables for classroom use requires a great deal of preparation and safety compliance work.
Family Survey
Given the uncertainty around the timeline for the opening of the portable classrooms and the possibility that they might only be available as learning spaces for six to seven weeks, we would like your input about moving forward with this plan. We recognize that the potential move into portables does not impact all Markham students – Dr. Brown-Warrens lists the affected classes in this letter – but we would like to hear from you as a community, particularly given that the move could fall within the OSAS testing window. You can fill out a short survey on this topic here. Please complete the survey by Thursday, April 4 at 5 p.m.
Community Meeting
We will discuss the results of the survey in a community meeting with district and school leadership on Tuesday, April 9 from 6-7 p.m. You can login into the meeting here.
Markham Construction Update
Crews onsite at the Markham School building are in the process of finishing the first phase of asbestos abatement so that the plumbing and HVAC contractor can begin to replace all of the damaged piping. Once the new plumbing system is in, crews will begin replacing ceilings, walls, and insulation. The engineering team has completed plans for the new gym floor and materials are currently on-order.
As always, thank you for your continued patience and we hope to see you in the virtual community meeting next week.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jon Franco, Chief of Schools
Dan Jung, Chief Operating Officer
