ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
835 OLD CLAIRTON ROAD
JEFFERSON HILLS, PA 15025
PHONE 412.655.8450
FAX 412.655.9544
www.wjhsd.net
I
Dr. Michael Ghilani
West Jefferson Hills
School District Superintendent
n September our school board approved a change to the district calendar that moved an in-
service day from November 27, 2018 to January 2, 2019. We had originally scheduled the day
in November because we had hoped that we would be able to move into the new Thomas
Jefferson High School over the Thanksgiving break. It became evident by the end of summer
that there was no way the building was going to be ready at that time. So we moved the day to
January 2 again with the slim chance that our new high school may be ready before the winter
break. As we are closing in on the winter months, it is clear that winter recess is no longer a
realistic option.
As of mid-November, the latest schedule revealed a February 20, 2019 date of completion.
Now that we have surpassed the two greatest opportunities for moving in, we have turned our
attention to the 2019-20 school year. The project will certainly be done sometime this spring;
however, with state testing and everything else that occurs in the spring and early summer
there just isn’t an ideal time to move into the building. The extended timeline will also allow
us to take our time moving in and not be under a time crunch to inspect the building and
complete a punch list. While this timeline certainly isn’t what anyone envisioned, we have to
make sure that we are thorough and complete as we head into the home stretch of the project.
Since my last letter, things have definitely improved with the project, and it seems as
though all of the contractors have a vested interest in finishing. Paving and parking are being
completed and all curbing and sidewalks are finished. The new tennis courts are in and the main
and auxiliary gym floors are installed. Classrooms are mostly complete and most of the finishes
are installed. The terrazzo flooring is moving along and a lot of the VCT flooring is already
installed. The swimming pool is being tiled and the kitchen is near completion. The theatre and
arts wing will be the last area finished and is still pretty far from completion.
I’ve had the opportunity to take a number of vendors and people who work in the K-12
field through the building. All of them have said that the new Thomas Jefferson High School
will be second to none. I cannot wait to proudly show the building to our students, teachers,
and community. Unlike many of the rumors that have circulated through the community and
social media, the high school project has gone fairly well outside of the delays. I feel bad for our
seniors who were supposed to be the first class in the building, but hold out hope that we can
get them into the building for an activity or to help us plan for next year.
By waiting until the 2019-20 school year, we can take our time and make sure we do things
right. The high school administrators, teachers, and students will then truly have time to fully
prepare for what will be a drastic change in environment. We are also making programmatic and
curricular enhancements that will take advantage of the new space and layout in the building.
We appreciate the patience and understanding that our students, teachers, and parents have
demonstrated throughout this project. Everyone, including myself, has grown impatient with
the thought of waiting even longer for the opening of this building. However, once it is opened
and becomes a resource for our students and community, we will all realize it was worth the
wait.
40 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS