GREENE – In just two short weeks, the 2009-10 school year will be in full swing. For the time being, however, it is still hard-hat wearing, tool-toting construction workers, not students, who are the most common sight in the hallways of the Greene Central School District.

“We will be ready to open school on time,” assured Superintendent Gary Smith.

Despite the exposed ceilings, stacks of construction materials and the constant drone of heavy equipment, the district administrator is confident that things will be cleaned up, if not entirely competed by Sept. 9, when students are slated to return.

Contractors broke ground in June on the two-year, $36.1 million dollar capital improvement project, which will overhaul each building in the district as well as add new classroom space at the Intermediate School and an artificial turf field at the Middle School/High School campus.

While the district had hoped to have the field in use for the fall sports season, crews encountered what Smith called “unsuitable soils” and drainage issues shortly after the ground breaking which set the project timeline back. Now, it appears that the field won’t be ready for use until Oct. 1.

“Obviously, we had hoped to have that open by the first games,” Smith said. “But that was a very aggressive schedule that we set for ourselves.”

According to the superintendent, the school’s athletics department is taking the delay in stride. Boys soccer is currently utilizing space at Lions Park for their practices, and will likely have their first games there as well. Both the girl’s field hockey and soccer programs are making use of practice fields at the elementary school, where they too will have their opening home games.

The varsity, jayvee and modified football teams have been most displaced by the construction. All three are currently holding practices at the Greene Ball Flats, which the district turned over to the village and town earlier this year. Games will need to be held elsewhere, however.

“Our opening football games may be at some neighboring districts,” said Smith. They are particularly interested in working with districts that have artificial turf fields, he explained, because Greene doesn’t want to have a negative impact on the playing surface at whichever school allows them use of their facility.

“Other than the athletic field, we are on schedule,” the administrator reported, although that doesn’t mean it will be 100 percent business as usual throughout the district.

One area which will be impacted is the Intermediate school. Because of the expansion project, the building will be without a gymnasium until early spring, Smith explained.