At Hunzinger Construction, we understand that schools are more than just buildings; they are dynamic learning environments where students, educators, and staff need to feel safe and focused. Managing construction in an active K-12 school requires a careful balance of efficiency, safety, and minimal disruption. With over a century of experience in K-12 construction, our experts below share their knowledge and experiences to minimize disruption and deliver on schedule in an active school environment.

Prioritizing Safety Above All

Safety should be a top priority when working in an occupied school. Your construction partner should always develop and deploy stringent safety protocols, including:

  • Safety: Your construction partner should develop a site-specific safety plan for the project that everyone must adhere to and develop and conduct site-specific safety orientation and background screening.  This is critically important in occupied environments, but essential in schools.
  • Segregated Work Zones: Establish clear barriers between construction areas and active school spaces, ensuring students and staff remain protected at all times.
  • Controlled Access Points: Restrict access to construction sites, using secured entry points and signage to prevent unauthorized entry.

Minimizing Disruptions to Learning

Maintaining an optimal learning environment is critical. To achieve this, consider employing strategies such as:

  • Strategic Scheduling: Plan construction activities around school schedules, leveraging summer breaks, weekends, and after-school hours to minimize noise and disruption.
  • Noise and Dust Control Measures: Advanced containment methods, such as temporary walls and sound-dampening barriers, help reduce noise and dust migration.
  • Clear Communication with Staff and Parents: Establish open lines of communication with school administrators, teachers, and parents, providing regular updates and addressing concerns promptly.

According to Hunzinger Senior Project Manager Brent Verhyen, “It is good practice to eliminate any interactions between the construction workers and the students, teachers and staff of the schools when working in an occupied environment. At a recent Racine Unified School District K-8 $45M renovation and addition, we posted the class schedules and bell times throughout the project so that construction workers would not get caught in the halls when the children are changing classes.”

“Additionally, we ask the workers to remove or cover their names from their hard hats, clothing or tools to eliminate the students trying to get familiar with or engage the workers,” Verhyen continued. “We have found it is best for there to be no interaction. It keeps the workers focused and makes it easier for the students to focus on school.”

On our recent Mequon Thiensville School District Projects where we completed 8 renovation and addition projects totaling $57M, we would issue weekly “Construction Progress Newsletters” for each school sent to all parents, teachers and staff that included recent photos from the project, what work was accomplished in the last week and what work was coming up in the weeks ahead. Providing regular, open and concise newsletters kept everyone informed about progress, reassured the taxpayers that their money was being spent responsibly, and kept everyone focused on the work ahead while keeping the students safe,” explained Hunzinger Project Manager Matt Arenberg.

Efficient Project Management

K-12 school projects require meticulous planning and coordination. Our recommended approach includes:

  • Phased Construction Plans: Break projects into manageable phases, ensuring critical areas remain accessible and operational.
  • Collaborative Coordination: Work closely with school leadership, facility managers, and local authorities to align work with academic needs and extracurricular activities.

Verhyen revealed that “at a recent RUSD renovation and addition of an elementary school, our crews began shifts at 3AM in order to have their work completed ahead of the student and staff arrivals for the school day. When the work that needs to be completed is just too loud and distracting, we work with our subcontractor partners to find the best solutions to keep the disruptions to a minimum so students can focus while keeping the project on schedule and budget.”

  • Flexible Problem-Solving: Unexpected challenges are inevitable, but an experienced team will adapt quickly to ensure smooth project progression without compromising quality.

Hunzinger Superintendent Dan Parente recalls that at a recent Racine school project, we had one 100-year flood, and a second significant flood 5 weeks later, which could have affected our ability to deliver the school on time for the start of the school year.

“The last week of July when we were completing our punch list items, the school was hit with the first major flood that left two feet of water in the school, but with constant communication with the owner, architects and engineers, our subcontractors, suppliers and insurance company, we were able to clean and rebuild the new school in time for the Open House. When heavy rain was forecasted again, our crew worked through the night to sandbag the perimeter of the addition, giving the site utilities contractor time to make improvements to the system to help prevent floods in the future. It took a lot of teamwork, problem-solving, and long hours, but we finished the school, and it opened on time, and the project was completed within budget.”

Building the Future Together, One School at a Time

At Hunzinger Construction, we believe that construction should never be a barrier to education. Our proven approach ensures that students and teachers can continue their important work while we build the next generation of inspiring learning environments. Whether it’s a classroom renovation, an expanded athletic facility, or an entirely new school, we are committed to excellence, safety, and community collaboration.

If your district is considering a construction project, let’s discuss how Hunzinger can help you build smarter, safer, while delivering on time and on budget, without disrupting the educational experience. Contact us today to learn more about our K-12 construction expertise!

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