The Palo Alto High School administration and donors are in the process of finalizing plans for the new Senior Deck after multiple delays.

The Senior Deck, a deck that is traditionally only used by seniors, is scheduled to be built over the summer, according to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson.

“It for sure will not be built before the school year is out,” Berkson said. “But ideally we will do it during the summer so there won’t be any lost time for the seniors.”

Berkson says that the administration and donors were able to come up with a few proposals for the design of the new deck.

“We talked about what would be good, did a few drawings, and we’re going to take it to ASB [Associated Student Body] for approval,” Berkson said. “We have one concept with different variations that were looking towards and the deck will be tiered. There will also be electricity on the deck, which is big.”

According to Berkson, there are some logistics that the administration is trying to account for with the new Senior Deck, some of which account for the delays.

“One of the big concerns is having space on the deck for performances,” Berkson said. “We want to make sure we can get a whole band or dance team on the deck.”

Berkson said that the Senior Deck is being built in memory of a former student, Emily Benatar, who passed away from bacterial meningitis in 2012.

Despite the delays in construction, Berkson is not worried.

“We’re also in no rush to finish it,” Berkson said “Most importantly, we want to make sure it is done right.”