Six months ago there were large earth-moving machines pushing mounds of dirt, loading trucks and readying the site. Today three skeleton frameworks mark the classroom portions of what will be the new high school. Behind the framework sits other enclosed portions of the school.
Today is a tour of the construction site to see what has been accomplished and to help readers imagine what different sections of the school might look like once finished. The ground is still frozen and the weather is still chilly despite the warmth of a sunny March day.
Superintendent Jeff Schwiebert led the way through an entrance on the northwest side of the building through what will be the large doors of the scene shop at the back of the theater stage.
The 700-plus-seat theater boasts a balcony seating area which is only beginning to take shape now that the steel is in. The balcony will seat 250.While it looks like a huge tunnel, this is really an area at the edge of the student commons. To the right are the school kitchens where lunch will be prepared. The darkened tunnel leads down a hallway to the gymnasium.The commons area will be the center of school life dividing the quieter curriculum areas such as the study of science, English, German, history and math from the more active areas such as physical education, swimming and theater arts.Shown here is one of the curriculum wings of the school. This wing will house the science area on the second level. It will have walls of glass so the projects and learning activities of students can be easily observed. The bottom level will host a concession area and be part of the commons area.Site manager John Waletzko shows the two additional curriculum wings that will house math, English, languages and social studies. The very upper levels will contain the mechanical heaters and air-conditioning equipment.This area will house four basketball courts. One of the courts will be separated by a wall and used for special events and other types of activities.Though it may not seem so now, what is shown will eventually be a large swimming pool that will be 14 feet deep at one end. In the background are the bleachers for the pool already installed and ready for use.To the west side of the main building is a smaller building with four bay openings. This building will house the auto mechanics repair lab.
