MONROE — The new Monroe High School project is moving swiftly, with roof work being done, drywall and subcontractors being let in on the project, as the gleaming new school’s shadow looms larger over the northeast side of town.

What’s even better, the more than $80 million project is “on budget and on schedule, so that’s always good news,” said Ron Olson, the district’s business manager, updating the School District of Monroe at its July 14 regular meeting.

Weather is always a factor but recent rains are not slowing things down much, with work going on inside and out, with crews installing duct work to circulate air to deal with high humidity around drywall, amid other workarounds. And he said the coverage of new roof on the sprawling project continues to expand, especially around the field house, helping with weather issues.

“The recent storms certainly give us some pause, but nothing that will put us off schedule,” Olson said.

Olson said that even landscaping work is going on “islands” around campus, and early work has even begun on the new stretch of road leading to the campus affectionately known as “Cheesemaker Way.” 

Another of several retention ponds has also been created.

Meanwhile, Supt. Joe Monroe discussed  ideas for marketing and branding/signage for the new school. Board members saw stunning examples, such as decorative kettles in the building to honor the area’s cheesemaking past and a giant, red MHS logo inside the main entrance to set the tone of being at MHS.

There’s also a key decision looming on the type of turf to use on the sports fields, officials said, as they continue to weigh options.

Additional MHS building information is available on the district’s web site including the latest short, walk through video that is designed to help taxpayers visualize construction progress on certain areas.