Even though it may appear that progress is slow with the renovations to the building, progress is being made.
For instance, Principal Robert Chappell hopes that choir will be able to move into the new choir facility sometime right after Christmas break.
“Carpet is the only thing that it really needs before it’s ready for use,” Chappell said. “There’s still some panelling that needs to be taken down in the hallway which will be replaced with the same walls as the rest of the choir halls.”
The choir facility includes the main choir room, Jazz Brigade room and solo and ensemble practice rooms. All choir rooms have acoustic panelling. Choir Director Eric Hindman’s office will be where the band director’s office used to be. The rooms where the flag equipment and band uniforms were stored is now where choir uniforms will be stored.
At the end of the 100 and 200 halls, six regular-sized classrooms and two science lab classrooms with a prep/storage room have been added. Chappell said that biology teachers Alex Jacobs and Danielle Sims will move into the new labs because they were made specifically for biology. Science teacher Chad Longley’s classes will moved into Sims’s old classroom.
The bus loop will be located at the end of the 200 hall. New retaining walls, for possible rain and flooding, are what’s delaying progress there since the ground is low in that location.
Chappell isn’t sure what the new classrooms will be used for, but he wants each core class subject located together.
An additional classroom will house speech classes and will be housed near the new black box theater which will be used for smaller productions and theater classes. The tallest structure is the new performing arts center which will seat 950 (250 seats in the balcony and 700 on the lower level). The seats will slowly rise up toward the back. An elevator and staircase will give access to the balcony. A new sidewalk will lead from the front parking lot to the auditorium entrance.
The auditorium’s backstage area will house male and female dressing rooms with a connecting make-up room as well as multiple storage rooms for theater and performance equipment. The stage itself has left and right wing performance areas as well. Overhead doors will serve a the band and theater loading area on the west side of the new part of the building.
The band area will have two smaller band halls/ensemble rooms with carpet and a larger band hall with tile. Chappell said the only entrance to the band hall will be through the building.
“On the west side of the building I wanted a parking lot for the band to have for marching,” Chappell said, “but there wasn’t enough room for the full field. The band will continue to march on the spot they have in the back parking lot. We’re going to add a storage building for marching equipment near the director’s tower. I think that pushing that equipment [back and forth so much] will ruin those instruments.”
The old little theater is now being changed into the multipurpose room. The office will be in front of the new multipurpose room. This will be a safety entrance where visitors will be required to check in and out much like the new junior high facility uses. The new nurse’s office will be by the freshman locker area.
Chappell said the renovations and construction almost doubles the size of the building, so more janitors will need to be hired. He also said that longer passing periods might be required because of the additional walking time to class.