Construction workers began working on the roof of West Henderson High School on Nov. 28, 2018 in an attempt to replace rusted vents, insulation boards, metal fascia trim and the waterproof membrane.

Areas on campus, such as the courtyard and the front of V building, have been blocked off with caution tape for the safety of students and faculty. These areas are expected to reopen when the roof is complete. Administration said they are hoping that construction will be done next week, beginning with Monday, Jan. 14, weather permitting.

“There have been no major issues found on the roof in the past,” assistant principal Jeff Smith said. “Flat roofs are expected to deteriorate over time and this section of our roof was due for a replacement.”

When the work began on Nov. 28, 2018, the expected end date was Dec. 7, 2018. Henderson County was impacted by a major snow event, causing the construction end date to be pushed back. They were unable to get any work done over winter break due to rain.

“The week that we missed for snow delayed the work done on the roof,” Smith said. “The extended rain that has taken place over the last few weeks has also delayed the work.”

The noise of the construction has led teachers and students to have a hard time focusing in class. Administrators and faculty have received many complaints about the noise and handle them as best as possible.

Many students said with the construction came an awful smell that impacted the front of the school for two days.

“The smell was bad. It was awful,” administrative assistant Kelly Littauer said. “We had people complaining of headaches so we did all that we could to get the smell cleared as fast as possible.”

Workers hope to be finished this week, according to Smith.

“All that is left to finish is the metal fascia trim,” Smith said. “This should have been done this week but the rain delayed it.”

By: Grayson Crow, Feature Writer