By Caitlynn Canfield
There is no doubt that our school needs some things replaced and fixed, but how bad has the building quality actually gotten?
Our High school was built in 1926 and that makes it roughly 95 years old. We’ve had a few renovations and major repairs since then, the last renovation being in 2005. The last renovation included things like new boilers, painting, installing fire doors, and replacing the front doors of lockers. That was 16 years ago, and now we are realizing we may not be able to fix and renovate something that’s almost a hundred years old.
We need a more permanent and long-term solution than patching and repainting. We currently have plumbing issues, brick/wall issues, major roof issues, and entire building issues.
This summer, our high school had more than a few issues with plumbing. We also had a urinal leaking water into the wall, causing us to have to tear out all the urinals in the lobby, and having to replace the wall they were on. Usually, in more updated buildings, there is an access panel to fix the pipes to the urinals. Since our building is so outdated, we just have to tear out the wall to get to the broken pipes.
The plumbing system is very old in parts of the school, especially the high school, which can create problems year round.
The roof is also in great need of repair or replacement. This past month, we had a leak above the band room cause the ceiling to start to crumble and fall. These leaks are due to stress fractures in the roof that have accumulated over the last 95 years. Students had to move into the next room over and put all instruments into storage until it was patched.
The building as a whole has problems as well. Our building’s bricks and siding have started to crumble. It may not look like the timeless brick entrance needs replacing from the road as you drive past it, but bricks have shifted and come loose. This is due to the building shifting and sinking into the earth. That movement gives the bricks space to move when the hundred-year-old mortar gives way (which it does).
This is such an issue that on particularly windy days, some doors won’t shut because the building has shifted. There is no way to fix this issue; we just wait until the wind blows in the opposite direction and it shifts in that direction.
Our science labs and other necessary supplies and furniture are outdated. Our science lab, which was once a great way to do hands-on learning, is outdated and needs supplies that are up-to-date and less dangerous.
Our science lab is over 25 years old. The plumbing, electric, and learning supplies need to be updated. In the upcoming bond, they plan to completely renovate the science lab.
To conclude this update, I ask you to vote yes on the bond.