To improve safety at two Southern Indiana schools, district leaders and Greater Clark Community Schools will invest $12 million in construction, with demolition work slated to begin December 2017.
On Nov. 21, the Greater Clark Community School Board unanimously approved a construction bid placed by Shireman Construction for two middle schools in Charlestown and Rivery Valley.
“Both middle schools have been open-concept middle school,s which means there are minimal doors and walls. Safety has been a paramount concern,” said superintendent Dr. Andrew Melin. He added that the current classroom set-up is also distracting.
To address such concerns, renovations will include the enclosure of classrooms inside both facilities. The HVAC system at the two schools will also be redesigned and reinstalled. Additional instruction spaces will be added by renovating libraries and new media centers will replace existing locker areas. Classes will be held in temporary classrooms while renovations are underway.
“What our teachers have to look forward to is a more traditional classroom environment where you have walls, doors, far less distractions, and students, hopefully will be fully engaged,” Melin said.
The project is a part of Greater Clark County’s larger plan to secure a $22 million loan for construction updates that were supposed to begin in spring of 2017. A total of $9 million will be spent on renovating River Valley Middle School while $7 million will be spent on Charlestown Middle. The remaining $6 million will go to Northhaven Elementary where construction work is ongoing.
