VERMILLION CO, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — North Vermillion Community School Corporation is almost finished with its $19 million construction project and we had a first look inside.
WTWO previously reported about renovations and the community center coming to North Vermillion JR/SR High School last year.
“We built the new Falcon Activity Center which has two gyms in it, a weight room, cardio room, [and a] fitness room. A lot of different things here for our students and our community,” Monty Kirk, Principal of North Vermillion JR/SR High School, said.
Kirk said everything from the floors to the walls, to the classrooms was touched in some capacity.
The Activity Center will be available to the entire community.
“We no longer have to hold morning practices for our different athletic teams, we can run them all after school. We’ve got a place [during] inclement weather where our teams can go when there are outdoor activities,” Kirk said.
Security was also upgraded. When you walk in the front door, you’re buzzed in to get through the second door.
“Every floor, wall, [and] bathroom within the high school was touched. So we really wanted to update the learning environment. We created a life skills space, new media space, obviously, the new gym,” Dan Nelson, Superintendent for North Vermillion Community School Corporation, said.
Nelson said the goals were to create a safe and updated learning environment and be a center point for the community.
“The third goal is to keep the taxes neutral. And we’ve done a really good job of not raising taxes while we did this project. So it’s a win-win for our taxpayers and our school community,” Nelson said.
Out with the old, and in with the new, to create an exciting and fun place where kids want to learn and teachers want to teach.
“It creates a different culture. We have a new dynamic school, lots of new stuff, we’ve had alumni, former coaches of other schools come in and they couldn’t believe the transitions just in the hallways,” Nelson said.
The grand opening for the Activity Center will be at 6:30 p.m. on January 12.
Nelson said they are still ironing out final details for the hours the facility will be open for public use.
