The new parts of the school were opened at the beginning of the second semester of the 2015-16 school year; however, some parts of the school are already damaged like the walls in the classrooms. The smartboards were moved and have made the paint peel and the walls dented. “(Students) have seemed to really like it. Everyone was surprised how good it looked when we came back from Christmas break,” sophomore Ginny Marbut said. “(However,) they treat it the same way they treated the old school, so pretty bad.” Photo by Amelia DeLamater.
By AMELIA DELAMATER – Print Managing Editor
Construction is renovating Clarke Central High School to be more sustainable and to last for years to come.
Clarke Central High School is currently undergoing a $30 million renovation. Some parts of the school have already been renovated and reopened to the students and faculty for classes.
However, the newly renovated areas, specifically the walls in the classrooms and hallways around the cafeteria, have already been damaged. The walls are dented and written on and the paint is peeling, not even a full year after being opened to the public.
“The school is already not in the best shape,” freshman Kate Jones said. “It’s been a few months and the paint is peeling off the walls.”
Joe Dunagan, the construction manager, has seen renovated parts damaged.
“Well what I’m doing on behalf of the school district, I’m going back in the main lobby they’ve completely destroyed,” Dunagan said. “This is Protected 300 Mold Defense Type X, which means it’s impact resistant and mold resistant. We’ve had a hard time maintaining our buildings on the interior, so you have to fix it to where it’s easier to maintain.”
Joy Sapp, the math department head, has personally seen her own room become changed, only few weeks after being opened to students in January.
“The corners of the room are getting nicked,” Sapp said. “It’s getting so dirty already.”
Students, like sophomore Frazier Taylor, have seen the damage done to the new portions of the campus, and it has caused students to realize they need to take care of their school.
“(Students have not been treating the new parts) the best, but they realize that it’s a $30 million building just for us, so they aren’t just destroying it,” sophomore Frazier Taylor said. “I want the new school to be bigger and better and better looking than the old run down place we used to call, ‘The home of the Gladiators.’”
Dunagan has a plan to help restore the parts of the building that have been affected most.
“This summer we’re going in and installing a high impact sheet rock panel that you can’t key,” Dunagan said.