Construction Zone Ahead

Campus Changes Underway, Expanding Buildings, Impacting Flow

Construction+Zone+Ahead

Photo by Deana Trautz

Kaley Johnson, Reporter
September 13, 2018

The future of the school is en route for change as remodeling and renovations on structures like locker rooms and science labs begin. While this process will be going on for the next few years, it will have impacts on both present and future students.

According to Principal John Sloan, the most imminent change on its way, scheduled to begin in November and take the majority of the year, are the expansions and additions of all athletic locker rooms and changing rooms, in both the school and the changing rooms, a much needed modification to the school.

“It’s going to really bring our facilities up to where we want them to be,” Sloan said. “Opening up those spaces and adding the additions is going allow for more comfortable and appropriate locker spaces to accommodate all of our athletes.”

This construction won’t affect students this year as all exterior work on locker rooms is happening this year while all interior work will start over this coming summer.

“I think having construction on the locker rooms would be really helpful,” girls soccer manager, junior Kerri Kenny said. “Everything’s just chaotic, some lockers don’t even close and your stuff can get stolen, so maybe having more safety would be amazing.”

Along with the locker rooms, there will be several other developments including a new grandstand at the football field, new bleachers and dugouts at the softball field, expansions on Career and Technical Education (CTE) classrooms, advancements in safety to the front of the school and most notably the expansion of the science building, which will include new classrooms and lab areas. 

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We’ll have more room to do more fun and creative things instead of just sitting in desks all day,

— Carlos Montoya

Chemistry and physics teacher, Carlos Montoya, said he is one of the many teachers thrilled for these new additions.

“I think it’s going to be great to have students not as crowded in the science classrooms,” Montoya said. “Once everything is built I think it’s going to be nice having so much more extra space to use. We’ll have more room to do more fun and creative things instead of just sitting in desks all day.”

While these additions are important and in high demand, the process comes with some concerns. With the construction, there is a dropping number of available student parking spots, causing a growing waitlist until the exact number of spots is determined. Sophomore Hailey Allen said that she is worried that there will be no spots available by the time she gets her license.

“I want to be able to drive to and from school on my own time,” Allen said. “I’d like to be able to get here as early and leave as late as I want and to not have to wait half an hour for someone to be able to pick me up. I’m worried I won’t be able to do that when I get my license in a month.”

Due to renovations on the field house and locker rooms, a fence is surrounding the field house parking lot, forcing cars into the student parking lot. Students and coaches either have to walk around the fence or go through the school to get to the field house, sports fields and tennis courts. Varsity tennis player, sophomore Samantha Lupul, said it this is an obstacle in her schedule.

“I’m glad that they are expanding the science building,” Lupul said. “But walking from the locker rooms to the tennis courts has become its own workout.”

All large projects should be completed by summer of 2020 with smaller projects and extra modifications going on until summer of 2022.

For more information about traffic flow adjustments, click here.