Touring the New High School

School Committee members received an education on the new project Monday, Aug. 1 during a tour of the construction site.

The universal reaction: A lot has happened in a fairly short time. The official ground-breaking was held in November.

This week, Grafton High School principal James Pignataro will check out two nearly completed classrooms to determine the best location for electric outlets and other features.

The approved set-up will then be used in all classrooms.

The tri-level building includes a range of features, both new and familiar.

And some have new twists to traditional looks. The auditorium, for example, is not much bigger than the current one. But the new auditorium features an aerial system to store rigging and props that now require three trailers to store.

Other features at the new building include:

Science rooms with prep rooms that are visible from the hall for safety.

A greenhouse to offer living science lessons.

A gym that is about twice the size of the current gymnasium.

An outdoor classroom complete with recessed space for a blackboard.

Perhaps the most striking aspect is the three-level spiral staircase that leads from the media room to the dining area. The staircase features glass blocking, which lets in light without being transparent.

School committee members who visited the site commented on the amount of space and the significant number of large windows to let in light and provide an expansive view of the athletic fields behind the building.

“It’s really amazing the amount of work that has already been done,’’ said Kathleen Halloran, chairman of the School Committee.

Town Meeting voters approved the construction of a new 186,351 square-foot facility.

The total project cost was $72.4 million. The Massachusetts School Building Authority will contribute 56.89 percent of eligible project costs, or $36.5 million.

The project is slightly ahead of schedule on the interior work, but slightly behind schedule on the outside work, said Steve Banak, senior project manager for Dimeo Construction, which is doing the project.

The school is scheduled to open in September 2012.