Building Steam
High school construction on track for a conclusion over the summer
Construction crews work on the fitness center extension in the back of the high school during the spring.
June 20, 2019
The school is finally coming together and change is in the air.
The progress is unbelievable as students have watched the Spring-Ford High School change right in front of their very own eyes. Walls have been completed, roofs added, and windows installed. The best addition came when the doors were put in place, blocking out the cold air being let in through the plywood.
According to Dr. Patrick Nugent the project is right on track.
To many students the construction has been going on way too long, but come summertime the expansion project should be winding down. With a completion date officially set for July 24 of this year, the contractors have “built in windows of time so they know that they can have some hiccups and still be able to keep things on track.”
Snow, rain, and cold weather stand as examples and led to difficulties in mixing concrete and placing beams in the ground.
“(We’re) hopeful that we can get some dry periods here and maybe not a lot more snow,” Nugent said.
With all the progress that has been made on the outer portions of the construction, the workers now set their sights on the inner sections of the building.
The additions include a new hallway between the art rooms and front of the building, a new gym, and a new band room.
While students can see these rooms built from the outside, they are unaware of what is happening on the inside as floors, paint, and shelves are being installed.
Some specific details include the beautiful design being added on the ceiling of the bandroom, a “scene shop” in the back of the stage which will serve as a place for the play’s set to be built before being wheeled out onto the stage, and a much-larger, user-friendly weightroom.
With the completion of the project will come some major changes for students.
The new hallway will open up more space for students between class periods, and the plan is to move toward one-way hallways to avoid congestion. Students coming from the senior wing will be required to utilize one hallway while students heading to the senior wing will use the other.
Although it is not officially set in stone, Dr. Nugent plans to apply a set of rules for the hallways to “funnel the traffic.”
These additions will help the Spring-Ford community expand.
The performing arts will have more storage and a room made for instruments sensitive to the cold, allowing more opportunities for the department.
The athletic department will receive a new fitness center that will be used to encourage students to take a larger part in athletics. The goal is that in this space, all students will feel very comfortable. This room will also help physical education classes to “promote physical activity,” allowing for a brighter future for Spring-Ford students.
With the construction however, there were some limitations for the football team throughout the fall season. Football coach Chad Brubaker mentioned a few difficulties for the team in drying their equipment and storing jerseys.
“Mr. Bean cleared out a portion of his storage room for our players’ equipment,” as the team’s locker room by the tennis courts,” said Brubaker.
The biggest problem for the team was the location of the room.
“To get to the room, our managers and coaches had to walk outside and around the construction zone. It was important to grab everything the first time,” Brubaker said.
That said, the team felt as though the sacrifice this season was worth it as the new additions will help better the school as a whole.
As the year goes on, many students have become adjusted to the noise outside or the slight smells coming from the construction. The school has learned to adapt, and the school will prosper in the years to come.
Many students and members of the staff are anxiously awaiting the new additions and the future being built around them.