DECATUR--Decatur Middle School will soon have a new look, thanks to a plan that would give the school a new full-size gym. With this new facility, the Decatur athletic department will have a place to hold multiple practice sessions and games for both volleyball and basketball programs.
Two years ago, the Decatur school board drew up plans to renovate the old Decatur Elementary School and use it to house middle school students in grades 5-8. Part of that plan involved the construction of a new 7,200-square-foot sport gym near the center of the middle school complex.
During the regular Oct. 17 meeting, school board members heard from John Mack with JKJ Architects in Rogers, the firm charged with the gym's design. The board was presented with a preliminary drawing of the middle school project.
The plan calls for a 84x50 foot regulation-size high school court to accommodate both basketball and volleyball. A 16-foot addition will be added to the east side of the building. This new addition will allow a full eight feet at either end of the court. This space will also house the gym's locker rooms.
The west end of the court will hold a set of folding bleachers. With the current plan, the seating was increased from 170 to 230 spectators. Also included on the west side of the gym will be a reinforced room similar to a safe room with the capacity to hold around 200 students in the event of severe weather.
The main entrance to the school will be upgraded with new offices, principal's office and concession stand. The current office will be removed and replaced with the new school entrance. Entry into the facility will be through a security foyer, similar to that of Northside Elementary School, where a visitor will have to be buzzed in to the office before being allowed to continue into the school.
The addition to the east side of the building will allow the school to retain its current restrooms and mechanical rooms, saving money on the project. These restrooms will be upgraded with more modern fixtures.
The Arkansas Department of Facilities and Transportation recently approved the district's plans for the middle school project. The district will have to wait until the conclusion of the current legislative session May 1 to find out the amount of funding it will receive. Since the conception of the new middle school project two years ago, the district has set aside funds to complete the gym without requesting additional bonds. Total cost of the project is not immediately known.
The project is slated to begin May 2017 and is expected to be complete by the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.
General News on 11/02/2016