A fleet of concrete pouring crews are on standby for drier weather as Phase II of work on the new Athens High School is set to begin, according to officials.

Jim Maynard of Martin & Cobey Construction Company told the Athens City Schools board Thursday that all checklist items for completing Phase I were done except for striping the portion of pavement around the central office torn up during groundwork.

Crews had to wait for a dry day to put down the pavement and are letting the mixture cure until next Wednesday, when they plan to paint stripes.

With all the pipes and groundwork complete, the next step involves laying the foundation and preparing for “vertical” construction. Contractors for Phase II are all lined up and ready to work, Maynard said.

“We are up and running today, officially,” he told the board.

Phase II work will begin at the electrical wing and move around to where the storm shelter is located, on the south side. District Superintendent Trey Holladay said he accompanied a panel from the state inspection team last week and the overall progress of the new high school is on track and on budget.

“Things are moving well,” he said.

The school district is in the process to receive money back from the architect company, Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, after an error in the blueprints resulted in the retention pond not working correctly, costing approximately $60,000 total to repair, Holladay said.

Otherwise, there are deductive change orders coming in, meaning the school system is getting money back instead of being asked to spend more.

Holladay added he and the district’s financial officers have increased their budget to account for unforeseen expenses, but district financial chief Serena Owsley said the overall budget of $55 million has not changed.

Bids for IT equipment will go out at the end of March to secure lower rates, said IT Director Dr. Beth McKinney and Maynard added bids for kitchen equipment will go out at the end of this month.

Other business

In other business, the board made no personnel actions, but officially recognized members of the Athens High School swim team for their various achievements at the state competition level.

Dr. Chris Hamilton of the Athens City Schools Foundation informed the board she and other members of the district’s communication team are working on a smartphone app to keep parents connected to information through their mobile devices.