Helen Beck picks up her nephew, Jason Jones, each afternoon at Erwin Middle School while his mom works for Food Lion.

Evenings, he catches another ride to practice football — at China Grove Middle School. That’s because the fields at the new Southeast Middle School where he hopes to transfer next month aren’t ready yet.

Southeast Middle’s delayed construction — school officials now estimate it will open the third week in September instead of by Labor Day — has made for a lot more driving for parents of children who play sports.

“He’s really excited about the move,” said Beck, a Duke Power retiree, while waiting in a line of idling cars outside Erwin Middle. “It’s just been so hard right now.”

Most parents are pleased with how four of the county’s six existing middle schools — Erwin, China Grove, West Rowan and Knox — have worked with students who will soon move into Southeast Middle. Despite the confusion over mixed schedules and practice sessions, they’re excited about their children attending the new $7.29-million school on Peeler Road.

“We’d like to have it opened up when it was supposed to, but I think they’ve done an excellent job,” said Linda Rinehart, whose sixth-grade grandson, David, attends Erwin for now.

Working seven days a week and sometimes into evenings, workers have installed lockers along walls and laid carpet this week in Southeast Middle’s rooms. Two classroom areas are near completion, school board member Vick Bost said.

When the school opens, the gym and cafeteria kitchen still won’t be finished.

General contractor Lyon Construction of Winston-Salem may have to pay penalties for each day after Aug. 9 the school is not complete. Called liquidated damages, that charge could amount to $500 per day per each of the five contractors delayed past that date.

Many parents say the delayed move for Southeast students hasn’t been good for children.

At West Rowan Middle, Southeast student Kelly Crandall attends many classes in trailers, mother Tammy Crandall said. Crandall said her daughter doesn’t want to move to Southeast because she’ll lose friends.

“Everybody’s just saying, ‘What the heck is going on?’ ” Crandall said. “I’ve got an eighth-grader who doesn’t want to go to Southeast. Teen-age years are tough, and sometimes it’s not all about their education. It’s about their emotional well-being.”

Catherine Combs’ son attends eighth grade at Erwin Middle.

“What I do not understand ... is how you can treat my son and other Southeast students as if this move is somehow their fault,” she said in a letter to the Post. “ ... They are separated from the friends they once walked your halls with; they have to establish a new school spirit when they have been ‘Eagles’ all along.”

Kelly Sparger is principal at Erwin Middle School, the county’s largest with nearly 1,100 students. Sparger said scheduling classes is unusual because the Southeast students are on a four-period “block” schedule while Erwin students attend seven classes a day. But some Southeast students are grouped together with Erwin students, meaning their schedules are mixed.

“Everybody realizes it’s not the situation any of us would prefer to be in, but it’s one we’re in and we’re trying to make the very best of it,” Sparger said. “Their staff and our staff have worked very well together.”

Athletics has been particularly hard on coaches and parents, who must travel to other middle schools for practice. This week, the football team has practiced at China Grove Middle. But when China Grove Middle held an open house Tuesday night, the Southeast players had to go to West Rowan Middle to practice. Thursday night, Southeast cheerleaders held a pep rally at China Grove Middle.

“We’ve not dealt with a situation like this before,” said Don Bost, principal at China Grove Middle. “It’s been relatively smooth, but I know there’s been concerns.”

School board member Vick Bost likened the situation to one years ago, when some students in the North Rowan elementary and middle schools attended a year-round schedule as others followed the traditional calendar.

“The awful thing is, they’re making friendships and settling into routines” at schools they attend now, Bost said. “It’s regrettable that it has to be done this way, but the only other option would be not to open the school until next year, and leave all that space unused.”