School Board takes tour of new Southridge expansion and updates

ByMatthew Crane Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Southwest Dubois County School Superintendent invited school board members and media for a walk-through of the construction at Southridge High School.

Michael Schipp, the architect that designed the school addition and the project manager, provided commentary for the tour. Schipp feels a special connection to the construction; he graduated from Southridge in 1983 and was a member of the 1982 Southridge Football team.

Temporary classrooms in what is being called the transition building; a new addition that will become a weight room, indoor track, and will house the football locker rooms.

The transition building is being used for temporary classrooms as the construction continues on the rest of the north and east sides of the school.

Schipp stated that the design of the classrooms is important to the learning environment. An example of the small details making these classrooms the best learning environment involved the ceiling tile. “There are three types of tile and they are designed to create a passive voice amplification in the classroom.” Schipp explained. “The tile in front project the teacher’s voice into the classroom, the tile in the then amplifies the voice, and the tile in the back is designed to absorb the sound.”

Concerns raised during the tour were based on the approximate three month extension of the project’s completion date. Originally slated to be finished before the next school year began, the construction is expected to be completed by November.

A record year of precipitation has caused many delays on the construction and the School Board, Schipp, and School Corporation are looking for ways to cut down on that three month window to save money on construction costs.

Options are limited according to Superintendent Enlow. The public voted on a $22.5 million referendum to build the addition and the cost can’t exceed that amount. Schipp stated the construction costs should still be within the referendum’s amount.

School Athletic Director Bret Bardwell stated he was looking forward to the new sport additions being finished as well as the rest of the additions. “We haven’t had any updates to the high school since it was built.”

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