As the new year draws closer, it’s only fitting that our school will be going through some changes. The basement of FHS will be renovated, most likely to begin over the upcoming Christmas break.

Depending on the final construction bid numbers, the following is stated to be done. The rooves with be redone, along with the plumbing. The classrooms in the basement of FHS will be enlarged; walls between classrooms will be removed and accordion walls will be put in to be used for testing. Mrs. Watson’s Life Skills classroom will be made larger to provide more space for the students. The journalism class will move to the other side of the cafeteria and will have one classroom created from two classrooms with a wall removed between them. A stairway will possibly be added on the right side of the skywalk to provide another exit.  The fans in the old gym will be replaced. AC units will be replaced or added in the 400 building, field house and the baseball and softball concession stands. Finally, the parking lots will be repaved.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Operations and funds Donnie Finn, the funds for renovations came from a bond.

“The funds came from [the bond],” Finn said. “When Dr. Eric Wright was the superintendent we put this out to the public and we passed this bond for $9.3 million. The election was in May 2018, but [the school board] decided to do this September 2018.”

“Every eight to ten years, we generate money from saving on the bond,” Finn said. “We do that because we’re a Chapter 41 [school], and we have to send 40 cents to every dollar. If we did [the renovations] with our own money, and it cost $1,000, it really would cost us $1,600 because of the taxes.”

Finn addressed the school’s need for renovations, mainly the Life Skills class.

“This is really going to help the life skills students because of the size,” Finn said. “Plus they have to go all the way around the building to get into their classroom, so they’ll have a ramp.

Finn was uncertain about the exact date of the start of renovations, but knew they will begin soon.

“Hopefully the people will submit their bids on Dec. 13, and then we have to decide which company is the best, but we usually try to do the cheapest one,” Finn said. “[The builders] have to have good qualifications, and then they can start around Christmas. We want everything to be done by October 2019.”