The start of school in District 13 is less than one week away, and those piles of material and at Coginchaug’s athletic facility don’t look like much yet. Many people are wondering how the upgrades to the facility are going and what students and faculty can expect when they head back.

According to project manager Steve Meader, who is responsible for overseeing, scheduling and monitoring the quality of the project, everything is on track (no pun intended), and the various pieces of the puzzle are coming along.

The faculty parking lot will be ready for when teachers return on Monday, August 30. However, the area designated as student/event parking will not be completed for the start of school, but Coginchaug principal Andre Hauser said there will be a plan for students who drive in. As of press time, this plan was not yet announced, but junior and senior students and their parents are directed to www.rsd13ct.org and to check their mailbox for letters sent home as to the most current parking information.

Hauser said he is working with Building and Grounds supervisor Rob Francis to find a place that is both legal and safe until the student parking lot is ready. Meader adds that the student parking lot was never expected to be ready by Sept. 2. In fact, the faculty parking lot was the only piece scheduled to be completed Nov. 12, the “substantially complete” date for the entire project. According to Meader, the project, which started on July 1, is still anticipated to be finished mid-November.

Aside from parking, the eight-lane synthetic track is in the process of being layered with crushed stone, a pavement sub base, asphalt binder course, asphalt top course and track surfacing. The new field is also in progress, and will include layers of finished stone, sand and rubber, and the synthetic turf. Currently, neither of these look as they will when finished, but they are moving along.

The old surface of the tennis courts have been pulverized, but won’t see any significant construction for a while because “it is nowhere near as intense of a project as the field,” said Meader. “This is our biggest focus.”

Only the foundation and slab for the public restroom and locker room will be constructed due to lack of funds. Similarly, only the light bases — not the light poles — will be put into the ground. Meader clarified that there is no press box included in the project, but the grand stand, which will seat 1,000, will be assembled beginning next week.

Building Committee chair Bill Currlin said he is very happy with the construction project so far as everything is working on schedule.