Throughout the year the fieldhouse construction has been a focal point through every classroom window. The big question is when will it be finished and ready to use?
Thanks to new information from the High School Principal, Ben Armey, we have a projected date of August 11 for the opening of the fieldhouse and the new high school entrance.
The fieldhouse will be open for any high school entity to use. Inside the fieldhouse you will find a 70-yard turf field, two track lanes, a weight room, and a wrestling and cheer area. Staff will start parking by the fieldhouse, like the past, starting next school year, with the addition of more parking spaces on the north side of the new building.
“We’ve realized the support from the community in order to have those opportunities,” Armey said. “They passed it overwhelmingly when we said it’s a space that all students can use.”
August 11 is also the opening date for the new front entrance and the new office space. One of the main reasons for the new entrance is safety.
“It’s in their honor that they actually come into the office,” Armey said of the current entrance that is being replaced. “There’s no corridor separating the outside from the actual office.”
Safety is a priority across all schools, and with this new entrance, Spring Lake staff and students can be better protected by being forced to directly enter the office.
The High School Administrative Assistants Jessica Brakora and Gera Peel will greet visitors in the new space, while Principal Armey and Assistant Principal Tony Bush, Athletic Director JT Hogan and Administrative Assistant Sue Theune, as well as the counseling staff, will be relocated to the new office.
On June 9, construction will begin on the current office to convert it for new purposes. They will start with tearing it down and renovate the space for students use. Also starting on that day, the library will go under construction. The new library will have the addition of study rooms, intended for dual enrollment students, along with a larger study room for group projects.
For high school students next year, books will be held in the teachers lounge, on shelves originally from Spring Lake District Library. Checking out the books will be virtually the same. Students can still put books on hold and read summaries, using the website, Destiny.
At the end of next school year, the library is predicted to be finished, with hopes for it to be finished during the school year.
Changes to the school are always to better the student body and academic life. Students and staff are looking forward to these new additions to the school.
