Workers are already on the site of Quantico Middle/High School, making preparations for the construction of the base’s consolidated elementary school.

The new facility, which will break ground April 12, 2013, is a 129,577-square foot building that will replace Russell, Burrows and Ashurst elementary schools, housing pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of September, 2014.

Until then, the construction zone will occupy the middle/high school’s three ball fields and the gravel lot that has served as overflow parking for both the middle/high school and nearby Russell Elementary School.

Sports activities have already been diverted to Butler Stadium and other fields, and the school system is now reworking its parking to accommodate the closure of the overflow lot.

“It’s not going to be as tight during the school day as some people think,” said Michael Gould, superintendent of the Department of Defense Education Activity New York/Virginia/Puerto Rico School District.

Ten spots at Russell Elementary will be designated as visitor spots, and 10 of the approximately 60 spots in the middle/high school’s parking lot will be set aside for Russell Elementary staff, Gould said, noting that those numbers are based on typical traffic and parking observed at the schools.

Additionally, the abandoned tennis courts at the middle/high school will be designated a temporary staff parking area.

Zach McKissick, supervisory logistics specialist for the school district, said the gravel lot had a capacity of more than 60 cars but rarely was occupied by more than a few.

“The biggest challenge is going to be during special-event days, but special events are a challenge at every one of our schools every time,” Gould said. He said events will be scheduled such that programs that draw a lot of parents to Russell Elementary will not coincide with basketball games or other high-traffic occasions at the middle/high school.

Gould acknowledged that the parking rearrangement poses some inconvenience for those who will now have to walk further, for example from the old tennis courts to Russell Elementary, and he said school officials will monitor the situation and make adjustments if necessary.

“We know this is a change for parents and staff, and we’re sensitive to that,” he said. “We’re asking our community to be flexible.”

He emphasized the arrangement would under no circumstances require elementary school students to cross Purvis Road unaccompanied by adults.

McKissick said construction vehicles driving on and off the site may also cause some impact to traffic during the project. “We’ve tried to limit that by having strict hours on delivery,” he added.

The replacement of the base’s schools has been discussed since around 2000, and after the new elementary school is built, the middle/high school will also be replaced.

Three of the four schools on base are between 50 and 60 years old, and Gould said the age of the buildings constrains their use in terms of modern technology and instruction methods. He said the project will also centralize the schools’ resources, allowing increased collaboration and creating a single campus environment.

“This is a project that’s been more than 10 years in the making, and we’re ecstatic about what the new facility is going to mean for the students aboard Quantico,” he said.

— Writer: mdicicco@quanticosentryonline.com