Delayed new school timeline in Seneca

For financial and utility reasons, there’ll be a timeline delay to build and open Seneca’s replacement middle school.  The announcement was made during the February meeting of the Oconee board of school trustees.  Projected earlier to be ready for the 2023-24 school year, the new school to be built on the Wells Highway will now require an additional one year and open instead in August 2024.  The principals and teachers were informed yesterday just hours before the start of the board meeting.  Steve Hanvey, associate superintendent, spoke last night in a tone of disappointment, but said the extra year is going to deliver a top quality product for the Seneca community.  The reasons for the delay include the time required to re-locate high transmission power lines on the property.  And a decrease in property assessments means the amount of taxpayer-financed bonds the district will see has been reduced by $1 million a year for at least two years.  The price tag to build the new Seneca school is now pegged at $45 million.  Also, after a review of drawings for the school, a decision has been made to increase the building to as much as 170 thousand square feet.