HARWOOD, N.D. — Due to construction delays in renovating Harwood Elementary, the school will start a week later than other West Fargo schools.
Harwood classes will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Other West Fargo schools open on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
Principal Jerry Standifer sent a memo to Harwood families on Tuesday, Aug. 20, saying the delay is a result of the “necessary scope of the project, a very compressed timeline and unforeseen weather delays which have all impacted the ability to deliver the project on time.”
Standifer noted that families may face difficulties meeting child care needs. “If you need to arrange additional childcare for the week and are having trouble with finding care, please reach out to me to discuss some potential options,” he said in the memo.
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The delay does not mean that Harwood students will have a later school end date, however. Students at Harwood will have the same last day of school as the rest of the district, according to Heather Leas, spokesperson for West Fargo schools.
Leas told The Forum the construction delays will not create additional costs for the district. But the school may have to combine two second-grade classes into one room because of the delays, she said.
Construction at Harwood Elementary is part of the $106.9 million bond approved last September for construction projects in several West Fargo schools.
Harwood Elementary is building two new classrooms on the east side of the building. Other renovations include building a new gym, a new entrance, redesigning the administrative office and repurposing the old administrative area into four new classrooms.
The total projected cost of the renovations is $3 million, according to information from the West Fargo School District.
Harwood Elementary held a Q&A session for families on Wednesday, Aug. 21, to discuss the ongoing construction.
Readers can reach education reporter Emma Beyer, a Report For America corps member, at 701-241-5535 or ebeyer@forumcomm.com.
