Construction crews, not students, fill Yowell’s halls

Typically, the first day of school features parking lots filled with parents dropping off their kids and school buses circling the loop unloading tons of students.

That wasn’t the case at Yowell Elementary School Wednesday morning.

With the school opening nearly a week behind schedule — classes have been delayed until next Wednesday— a handful of Yowell students had to attend day care at Sycamore Park Elementary. The rest got an extended summer vacation, courtesy the School Board.

Meanwhile, orange and white barrels lined the busy stretch of Sperryville Pike between Maple and Marker lanes.

Construction crews shoveled dirt and paved the asphalt in front of the county’s sixth elementary school — under construction near the intersection of Yowell Drive and Sperryville Pike — in last-minute efforts to complete site work.

As jackhammers drilled loudly, men with orange hard hats and lime green safety vests drove dump trucks transporting gravel from one area to another.

For now, patches of brown dirt surround the new building. Soon, bright, green grass will decorate the landscape.

Crews plan to install a new traffic signal at the intersection in front of the school in September. In the meantime, law enforcement officers will direct traffic for the first few weeks.

Inside, inspectors toured the two-story structure with the purpose of granting a temporary certificate of occupancy that would allow teachers to set up their classrooms this week. Tons of boxes filled with school supplies and miniature furniture sat in the middle of the classrooms.

Workers are expected to clean the inside of the building this weekend, according to Hunter Spencer, construction projects manager for Culpeper County Public Schools. He feels confident about receiving a permanent occupancy permit from a building inspector, allowing kids to fill the building next week.

While construction crews apply finishing touches at Yowell, Culpeper Human Services offered to provide day care at Sycamore Park Elementary School for five days to Yowell parents who need it on a temporary basis.

Nearly 20 Yowell students sat behind desks Wednesday morning, coloring worksheets inside Trailer 2 behind Sycamore Park.

Fifth-grader Darby Nicholson, 10, said she looks forward to meeting her new teacher at Yowell next week.

“I want to see how she is,” said the former Pearl Sample student.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or