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Work progressing on Pottstown elementary schools

Along with books and computers, the Pottstown School District welcomed the new school year with saws and jackhammers. The Montgomery County district's massive, ongoing renovation of its four elementary schools is heading toward the finish line, school officials said.

Along with books and computers, the Pottstown School District welcomed the new school year with saws and jackhammers.

The Montgomery County district's massive, ongoing renovation of its four elementary schools is heading toward the finish line, school officials said.

The $28 million project began two years ago, when the 3,200-student district decided to close one of its five elementary schools, Edgewood, and redistribute students among the remaining four elementary buildings, which house about 1,600 students.

But each of the old school properties needed substantial work, including asbestos removal, secure vestibules, new roofs, updated boiler rooms, and new classrooms to replace modular ones.

Spokesman John Armato said last week that officials had been "playing checkers" with students and staff for the last two years as they moved them around to make way for construction.

Only those at Rupert Elementary, the oldest school, were moved to another building - the old Edgewood School - during the renovation. Armato said that project is almost done and students were expected to move back to Rupert in the fall.

Barth Elementary is also nearly finished. Substantial work continues on Franklin and Lincoln Schools.

"Opening Franklin and Lincoln on time was a challenge, Armato said. "It took all hands on deck."

The cost of the work at all four buildings originally was budgeted at just over $20 million but overruns and change orders have jacked up the cost.

The project at one time included discussion of closing all five elementary schools and consolidating them into one building in the center of the borough. But residents pushed to keep the neighborhood schools open.