Construction curiosity comes to an end

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The auditorium is one of the biggest projects the construction workers are focusing on.

Kenisha Johnson

NC construction has sparked curiosity since its start at the beginning of the school year. From closed hallways to power outages, the construction has affected all students in some way. Many find themselves wondering what’s changing, and when it will end. Assistant principal Jeff Harkin shares all there is to know about the ongoing construction. 

“Over the course of the next five years, this building will go through an extensive renovation,” said Harkin. 

Renovations include a new auditorium, moving the main office and updating classroom and building technology. Additions such as new classrooms, multipurpose rooms and a fieldhouse will also be present.

According to the school board, the goals with the renovation of NC and other district schools are to minimize the traffic and sound impact on surrounding neighborhoods and improve neighborhood connectivity. 

“The overall goal of the construction is to improve learning space, add additional learning space and meet our needs of the school and corporation by providing opportunities for more space. Updating things and providing a nice academic environment for our kids is the goal,” said Harkin. 

The results of the construction will impact everyone who steps foot in NC. 

“The main entrance addition will improve security and access to the building. It will reroute the flow of some of our traffic. There will be some classroom and technology additions, updated furniture and renovated space to update the facility. The fieldhouse will provide our PE classes more space to be able to do different activities and will provide more space for our clubs and athletic teams,” said Harkin. 

Although the final product will not be done for years to come, certain projects are already underway. 

“The auditorium, which is Phase 1, and the central plant are currently under construction. In the central plant, we have replaced our boilers, our air filtration, our water filtration, our air conditioning system and our coolers. All of what makes the building run day-to-day has been replaced and updated. You’ve been around rooms where it’s colder or hotter, and it’s kind of irritating. So being able to update and modernize the technology there is really good for us,” said Harkin.

While these renovations will not be complete in time for any current NC students to enjoy, they will make learning at NC a much better experience by giving students more places and opportunities to socialize and navigate the school.