Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette A new entrance to the Barkell Elementary School parking lot is currently under construction, following what had been a walking path used by students going to and coming from the school. The school is in the upper left-hand corner of the photograph.

Part Two of a two-part series on the 2022 bond project construction.

HANCOCK — Part of the Hancock Public Schools 2022 bond proposal included reconstruction and redesign of the parking lot, parent drop off and bus loop to increase safety for students, parents and busses, at the Barkell Elementary School campus.

“Right now, on the south side of Elevation Street on our campus,” said Hancock Superintendent Chris Salani, “that’s going to be the new entrace to Barkell.”

Like the redesign and construction of the parking lot area at the middle school/high school campus, the Barkell parking lot will also have a one-way traffic flow, Salani said. Traffic will exit using the current two-way road from Elevation Street.

The addition of a STEM lab and a Fab (digital fabrication) lab are currently under construction, also in what used to be the art room and an unused science room.

“There’s one big room,” said Barkell Principal Dan Vaara.” It’s actually a double room, but it had a divider that was, probably, not opened for decades.”

That double room was used as two individual rooms, but now it will be one large STEM room.

“We’re about three or four years deep into our STEM program,” Vaara said, “and now there will be the Fab lab.”

Another project at Barkell is improving the drainage of a south-facing, three-sided courtyard between the two winds of the building near the playground.

The courtyard is a wonderful space, said Vaara.

“It’s sheltered from the wind, it’s easily accessible,” he said, “but it’s been unusable, because the drainage system is not functioning like it’s supposed to.”

The area is soggy and wet, and when heavy equipment is brought in to remove snow from the classroom windows, the machines create ruts, which have to be filled in every spring.

“It just became an usable space,” he said.

The drainage system will include removing the surface, installing new drain pipes, and laying a plastic membrane of sorts, then adding topsoil for new grass.

“It’s a perfect space,” Vaara said, “and it’s easily accessible. We have doors that exit the building right into the area.”

The drainage project, he said, is a big part of the whole construction piece.