At the April Lucas School Board meeting, Superintendent Dan Freund brought up the need to look at the high school gymnasium for some changes to alleviate the pressure on the middle school’s gymnasium. Other improvements included flooding in the ag room, heat needed to shop, downspouts that need repair, and parking.
“In what was the seating area of the old stage (off the gymnasium) is now two classrooms and storage,” explained high school Principal Eric Teague.
With programs, play practices and other activities, the high school gymnasium can’t handle the number of people using the facility.
If the stage area is re-opened for use, Teague explained that they would lose necessary storage. “It would take some finagling to get classroom space to make up what we would lose, but trying to use the gym for all grades…and winter is a killer. When you’re trying to do 7 through 12 boys and girls basketball, elementary and middle school drama club, end of basketball season up against the start of softball season, recognition night and also the academic booster basketball in there…it’s a disaster,” stressed Teague.
Several ideas were suggested, including modular classrooms which the superintendent said he would check into. Often these can be purchased used.
Another issue addressed was the problem of the rain that flows into the Ag Shop and into the gymnasium and down the stairs. The asphalt is higher than the doors so the water becomes a river going down into the locker rooms below and Teague explained that the carpeting needs to be pulled up in those areas due to multiple soakings.
In reference to the water damage, there’s also an issue with the downspouts that freeze just below ground that will need to be fixed this year to help alleviate the back-up drainage into the building. Principal Teague said there are several areas in the high school needing repairs to prevent further problems in the building.
The school board also mentioned the need to provide heat to the shop in the near future.
One of the biggest issues brought up at the meeting was the parking arrangement near the backdoor of the gym. The problem with making changes is that the school would lose their grandfathered-in clause of only requiring 5-foot clearance in front of the door.
“If we made changes, we would have to go to the updated fire codes, which would mean losing a lot of parking,” said Teague.
Teague feels the area around that door is an unsafe situation. He noted that he has seen too many near-hits of students coming out of the building and the cars pulling into the area for pick-up. It was suggested that the door should only be a Fire Exit with an alarm. However, Teague said it’s also an after-hours’ exit, which would make the alarm a problem.
Teague’s suggestion was to eliminate the parking along the back and make a walkway through the area to the parking. Mainly, some kind of buffer needs to be put in front of that door to help lessen the chance of injury.
