Daviess County Public Schools officials announced Wednesday that the new Daviess County Middle School location will not be completed by Aug. 10 — the first day of school — due to construction recommendations. Instead, the school will be starting the academic year in the previous DCMS location at 1415 East 4th Street.
Superintendent Matt Robbins said Danco Construction stated that the original deadline is no longer achievable.
Instruction will resume at the old facility until construction is complete at the new facility.
The following email was sent out to DCMS families Wednesday afternoon:
DCMS Families,
It is always my commitment to keep our families informed. This afternoon, following several meetings with all involved, I am sharing some disappointing news regarding the new Daviess County Middle School facility.
In today’s meeting with Danco Construction, it has been determined that the initial deadline to begin our year in the new location is no longer achievable. In previous meetings, Danco leadership have repeatedly assured us they would meet our target date of August 10 to open the school.
It was known for some time that the initial deadline would result in minor inconveniences for a short period. Final construction that did not impact instruction was slated to be completed immediately following the start of school. However, Danco’s current analysis of the remaining scope of work and subsequent local and state inspections presents a new picture. It is now apparent that it is in the best interest of our students and staff to begin the year at the old DCMS location.
Our dedication to supporting learning and providing a safe environment for our students and staff is paramount, making the previously scheduled move unachievable for the start of the school year.
Daviess County Middle School students and staff will now begin the school year at the old facility at 1415 E 4th Street. Meanwhile, construction will continue on the new facility in the coming weeks, with a move-in date forthcoming as the construction completion timeline becomes more apparent.
To minimize disruption, our new goal is to complete all school construction, in full, prior to moving in. With this additional scope of work, move-in is anticipated no later than Fall Break. It is possible that we may be able to move ahead of this date once construction is fully complete. It is a time-consuming challenge to move an entire staff, school furnishings, equipment and school food service items in a short turnaround. If it becomes feasible for us to move in earlier, we will communicate those changes with staff and families.
We look forward to finishing what we started in the coming months – safely and efficiently getting our DCMS students and staff into a new, state-of-the-art facility – even with this unexpected and unfortunate change of plans.
I want to extend sincere appreciation for the patience, adaptability and resilience of our DCMS families. The entire DCPS team is here to support and encourage our DCMS students and staff members during this transitional time.
