By Lea Youngman
Rumors are being confirmed: renovations to the roof, doors and turf will take place over the summer.
According to Principal Brian Ellis, the football field has had this specific turf for almost 10 years, and after 10 years, it gets less safe and reaches the point of needing to be replaced. He said replacing the turf will create a much safer field for the football, soccer, and field hockey teams as well as many other teams. There will also be a more secure gate that can be accessed with a YSHS badge. The estimated budget for this specific project is about $500,000, he said.
Additionally, a new rubber roof will replace the old one. Ellis said the roof will ensure that water stays out of the building. The greenhouse will be torn down, considering the issues the school has had with it in the past. It will make a return, but not for at least two years. This project will not take long; however, the budget is unknown at this point.
Ellis also said classroom doors will be replaced. The doors are original to the building, which was built in 1950, and they have been failing for quite some time. “The new classroom doors will be similar to the guidance doors. They will be steel and will be more durable,” Ellis added.
The new doors will make sure that students are safe and will also involve more use of YSHS badges for teachers and substitutes to cause less hassle with losing keys. This project is the most expensive at $1 million. The students are guaranteed to be safer during a school lockdown or any other situation that arises, Ellis said.
These projects all start at once. The track will be closed, and the field will be torn down the day after graduation (weather pending). It will all hopefully end sometime early in the fall, if all goes well.
Although these updates are necessary, Ellis would love to see “a brand new facility with more opportunities like a new cafeteria, library, and auditorium. I’d love to see larger classrooms, a library with more dynamic seating and more collaborative spaces, and a field house (bathroom) closer to the football field.”
Ellis would also like to praise the custodians and staff who give us the ability to have such a nice school.