VIDALIA &8212; Construction on the new library and science lab addition at Vidalia High School has been delayed while contractors await materials.

The needed steel was scheduled to arrive in February, Director of Academic Affairs Fred Butcher said, but it&8217;s not here yet.

&8220;With the Katrina situation, the contractors are having trouble getting in steel,&8221; Butcher said.

The steel is now expected in early May.

Once all the proper materials arrive, work can begin again. The foundation of the addition has already been laid.

The district still has plans to do the interior work on classrooms once school lets out for summer, Butcher said. And they still plan to open the building next school year.

The $1.3 million project paid for by property tax dollars will include a state of the art science lab, two new classrooms and a new library. All other parish schools received renovated libraries before the start of this school year.

The addition will be 6,300 square feet and will connect to the existing building with a covered walkway. It also includes a space for mechanical equipment.

Glass windows line the front to make use of natural lighting. Both science classrooms will connect to the lab and have easy access to it.

After the new building is complete, the existing library will be converted into three more classrooms.

The project developed out of a need for more classrooms and a desire to improve access to technology and library resources in all the parish schools.