NEW PALESTINE — When students, staff and visitors enter New Palestine High School via the main entrance, they have to walk right past the maintenance section of the building — not exactly an ideal design for a school.
That’s just one of the many reasons the Southern Hancock School Board is gathering ideas on how they can renovate the district’s flagship school to make it better for students and staff.
Overcrowded hallways and classrooms, darkened areas and outdated spaces are all things that need to be addressed, district officials say.
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The high school, originally constructed in 1920, has been built on in sections ever since. The two most recent additions/renovations were the auditorium in 1998 and the pool in 2000.
“I think we do have some real needs, but we want to make sure that safety and security are the main things and all our kids are safe,” principal Keith Fessler said.
Exactly what kind of renovations and work will be done, how much the work will cost, how the district will pay for it and when the work will be done are all questions district officials are still trying to figure out.
One thing district officials are certain of is updating the high school is an immediate need, Superintendent Lisa Lantrip said.
Wednesday evening, the school corporation had a work session to allow community members to come into the high school; take a tour; and meet with district officials and a construction team to share ideas about the high school needs.
Lyndsey Edwards has two young children in the district who she one day plans to send to the high school. Classrooms, hallways and the cafeteria are too small, she said.
Edwards would also like to see district officials put an emphases on adding state-of-the-art technology.
She also voiced support for one thing this is in the back of everyone’s minds as the discussion begins: She said she would vote “yes” on a referendum to raises taxes for the renovations.
Caleb Cannon, a junior at the high school, will graduate by the time any new work is finished, but he would love to see district officials create something from the ground up that fits the needs of the students and the community.
“This is an amazing community, and I don’t think our school reflects that,” Caleb said.
The meeting with community members was the final piece of input district officials were gathering after already speaking with teachers, staff and students.
Wes Anderson, the district’s community relations director, said a common theme developed throughout all three input sessions. Everyone would like to see collaborative spaces; ways to bring natural light into the building to give it a more inviting environment for learning; and create a better traffic flow by increasing hallway width with smart designs.
A faculty study recommendation by the Skillman Corporation, the group who will oversee any renovations, has already made several suggestions. They would like to demolish outdated building additions; add new additions with enhanced educational opportunities; and relocate building services away from the front door, among other suggestions.
Tania McDonald has a second-grader who will more than likely attend the high school and said when she walks into the high school now, it reminds her of her old high school. It’s outdated.
“They need to really plan for this and do it right before kids are out in trailers,” McDonald said. “None of us want to see that.”
District officials hope to have some kind of recommendation to bring before the school board sometime this spring, Anderson said. They’re also hoping to get the work done without the help of a referendum or creating an impact on the tax rate.
