KINGFIELD — Last Thursday, the concrete crew finished the final portion of the floors and foundation for the boiler replacement project at the Kingfield Elementary School. The wood frame construction is expected to start soon when students return to school. Similar work was also completed at the Strong school where the walls and roof trusses are already in place.

The projects which are federally funded through a USDA rural initiative grant will allow both schools to heat with wood pellets instead of oil this coming season.

Wendall Voter, of Voter Concrete, said that 10 yards of 4,000 PSI concrete formed the foundation of the silo pad, which will house the pellets. Five yards of concrete make up the wall sections of the boiler building and 15 yards were poured for the floor.

The silo pad itself weighs approximately 39,000 pounds and houses 600 feet of half-inch rebar, installed in a 12-inch grid pattern. Voter has been in the concrete business for about 39 years.

The project is expected to be finished sometime this winter. When the projects are completed, three of the MSAD #58's five schools will be heated using wood pellets. The school maintenance garage is also heated using wood pellets.

School officials have said that they are relieved to by getting away from foreign fuel reliance and glad to be spending money in-state buying pellets.