West Valley High can’t answer bell

School’s still out at West Valley High School, where a Wednesday opening was abruptly pushed back two days because of construction delays.

School administrators were scrambling late Tuesday afternoon to let parents know there would be no classes at the school today as planned. Friday is the new first day, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 11:20 a.m.

On Tuesday there was still carpet to be laid on the second floor of the $30 million remodel project. Building inspectors still were deciding if classroom areas met safety codes at the 8301 E. Buckeye Ave. location.

“At 3:30 p.m. today, we sat down with our teachers. At that point, we had not received full clearance on our safety features, and that had to be done,” said Polly Crowley, West Valley School District superintendent. “We knew at the time that if we bet on it, we’d have them by the end of the day, but it was time to make a decision.”

Garco Construction, the general contractor on the project, was supposed to have the school ready for teachers to move in Sept. 1. Garco Vice President Frank Etter did not return calls onTuesday.

When the decision was made to postpone the first day, Crowley said some teachers still did not have access to their classrooms to prepare for the opening day of school because of unfinished carpet work.

“Our concern was the quality of instruction,” Crowley said. “We could have pulled it off, but our teachers were saying ‘I want to teach, I don’t want to be just going through the motions.’ “

All other West Valley District schools will open today as planned, Crowley said, including the district’s other two high schools.

For West Valley High School students, two extra days of summer vacation will come at a price. State law requires students to be in school for at least 180 days each academic year. Crowley said the district’s school board will have to settle on makeup days for the postponement. That decision is likely two weeks away.

From the outside, opening day seems much further off. There’s a massive hole in the center of the project where the heart of the school once was. But looks are deceiving. The north and south ends of the school appear mostly complete, and it’s in those areas that classes will be held while construction continues until September 2007. A protective causeway will shield students from the job site as they travel north and south for classes. Construction crews will work odd hours to accommodate a regular school day.