Parkers Chapel construction nears completion
The construction at Parkers Chapel schools that started in May 2016 is expected to be completed for the beginning of the school year.
The approximately $8.5 million project has been primarily focused on two things: increasing size and security.
“Increasing size and security were two big factors on this project,” said Superintendent Michael White.
As part of the project, the school has added six new classrooms and increased the cafeteria by about 50 percent, White said.
For the cafeteria, White said the space increase came from removing the stage that was in what the school called the cafetorium. Part of this space was also able to become new classrooms. It used to be the space where assemblies would take place, but another part of the project was creating an auditorium.
The new auditorium, designed to hold 440 people, will be used for school assemblies and other large-scale events. The auditorium is located right next to the drama room to allow those classes to utilize the space for class work and performances.
When it came to security, White said there’s now two large classrooms designed to be activity rooms, but would also double as safe rooms in case of a tornado warning.
“Concrete ceiling, concrete siding and they’ll have special glass in the windows that’ll be safe during tornados,” White said.
Additionally, the renovations have made it so that the entire complex is connected so that students don’t have to go outside in between classes. White said there’s also an intercom system that will allow communication between the front office and individual classrooms.
There is now two entrances to the school, one at each end of the complex with the high school entrance and elementary school entrance. These are designed to be entrance points for the public where they can check in at the office. The internal doors are designed to auto-lock during school hours.
Along with these bigger projects, the school took on smaller updates as well such as reroofing the high school, putting air conditioning into the gym and laying asphalt in the parking lots.
One of the most noticeable changes, White said, is the evolution to a school tradition — memorializing the names of graduates.
In the past the names of graduates were put in the sidewalk behind the school.
However, with the renovations, a new method has been put in place. Along the front of the school, next to the new sidewalk, White said the school has installed a brick border. In groups by class carved into the bricks is the names of graduates.
“The tradition was not putting names in concrete,” White said. “The tradition was that we were memorializing those who graduate from Parkers Chapel. We’re just using a different mechanism now.”