Construction is on schedule at the Big Walnut school district's new elementary and middle schools.

Kevin Caudill of Turner Construction on Nov. 9 gave an update on the construction of the new buildings, which are funded by a $30-million bond issue passed by voters in November 2008.

Money from the bond issue can be used only to build the schools and can't be spent on operations.

Superintendent Steve Mazzi said some misconception exists on that topic.

"I got an e-mail as late as today (Nov. 9) to stop the construction of the buildings because we need to use that money for operations. I don't know how many more ways to say it, but that's illegal to do, we can't do it, we're not going to do it," Mazzi said.

"That money cannot be used for operation money. It can only be used for building and bricks. The money that's needed to operate the district and operate those buildings is going to be minimal to our overall budget," he said.

"In the last two years, we've added over 200 students and we need to keep going ... with our buildings," he added.

The new elementary school, to be named Gen. Rosecrans Elementary, is scheduled to open for the 2010-2011 school year.

The elementary's exterior, which is a dark "Big Walnut" red, is about 50 percent complete, Caudill said.

The base for the roof is complete, he said.

"We've also started sloped roofs. If you drive by, you'll see 50 percent of those roofs are complete as well. We have metal framing going up around the top, above the commons and gym areas," he said.

Nearly 90 percent of the bases for the exterior lights also are complete, he said.

"A lot of the work that was done this past month was interior work and we have some non-load bearing walls inside being worked out. A lot of those have been completed. We also have concrete slab floors; they are being poured," Caudill said.

"Pretty soon we'll have floors throughout the building. We had pre-cast slabs, which are pieces of concrete that were pre-poured. They were set on top of masonry walls that are going to hold air units inside the building," he added.

Caudill said he hopes the building will be enclosed and the roof watertight by Nov. 30.

The new middle school will open for the 2011-2012 school year. Earth moving is complete at the site, Caudill said, and work on the driveway from Cheshire Road was set to begin.

During the past month, all the sanitary lines to the building have been completed, he added.

Storm sewers were scheduled to be completed this week.

"We have about two catch basins we have to get in yet in the west side of the building," Caudill said Nov. 9.

"We wanted to get some underground work and the building pad established before winter hit and the weather has cooperated and is allowing us to do that. Come spring, the building pad is ready to go, footings can start and the building can come out of the ground pretty fast," he said.