Construction to Begin Soon on Hanover Elementary Kindergarten Wing

After , construction of at Hanover Elementary School to house Meriden’s first all-day kindergarten program has gotten the official go-ahead, Robert Andrade, architect for the project, reported at the School Building Committee meeting Thursday evening.

The EPA finally approved the process to remove PCBs from a small area of the building, and the state Bureau of School Facilities has signed off. The project should go out to bid by the end of the month, Andrade told the committee.

When asked how the delay would affect the completion date, Andrade replied, “We’re certainly not going to have it ready for July 2012. We’re now talking about fall 2012, with a drop-dead date of Christmas break 2012.”

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Michael Grove insisted that Meriden would launch its all-day kindergarten at the start of the 2012-13 school year as planned, whether the building is ready or not. “I’m confident that we will be able to start full-day K next year,” he said.

The children may have to start school in a different location and then move into the building when it’s ready, Grove explained. School officials are now looking at options. “We will have a plan in place for the start of school 2012,” Grove said.

The architect will meet with school officials tomorrow to develop a timeline for the project. Andrade estimated that the toxic PCBs will be removed from the existing Hanover building during Christmas break this year when no one will be using the building.