By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

HAMILTON - Signs in the hallways and cafeteria at Garfield Junior High School tell the story.

"Yield to Hamilton City Schools," reads one. "We dig our staff," reads another. "School work ahead," says a third.

The signs are Principal Dennis Malone's way of bringing humor to the year-long renovation of the school, part of a 10-year, $176 million district facilities plan funded through a joint partnership with the Ohio School Facilities Commission, which will pay 59 percent of the cost.

"We thought we'd have a little bit of fun," Mr. Malone said of the signs. "There is construction. There's no way around it. But for the most part it's been compatible with learning. The kids have handled it more responsibly than we thought."

Work recently finished on Phase Two of the five-phase project, which remodeled 14 classrooms along with relocating and updating the media center.

Construction crews are beginning the third phase, which will revamp another 17 classrooms by February, said Jim Boerke, director of planning and construction management.

Infrastructure work was done last summer during the project's first phase.

Every time construction crews seal off one area of the school and students have to find alternate routes to their classes, maps are handed out, lockers are reassigned, a new fire escape plan is drawn up and students have fire drills, Mr. Malone said.

Workers now do the demolition work when students aren't in the building to keep down noise, dust and other distractions.

"It's very time-demanding, but I want the building to operate for students and teachers as if there was no construction. We want to keep construction and students separate as much as we can," Mr. Malone said.

To accommodate the construction, seventh-graders will spend this year in modular classrooms, returning to the main building for social studies, computer, music and physical education classes.

During each phase of construction, a different group of teachers moves to classrooms either already remodeled or awaiting work.

"We've had to be very flexible; the students don't always get to class on time," said Becky Lawson, a seventh-grade teacher who graduated from Garfield when it was a high school.

"We're all thrilled with what we're getting, so the inconvenience is worth it."

Superintendent Janet Baker said the renovation work was designed around educational programs with flexibility in mind. For example, some classrooms have dividers for small-group use.

When completed, the building will be up to code and will feature better lighting, sprinkler systems, updated public address systems and a multimedia teacher station in each room with a computer, phone and other amenities.