BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE

SCOTT CITY -- It's hard to find a student in the Scott City school system that does not have something nice to say about the recent renovations to the facility.

Since the passage of a 70 cent tax levy increase in 1988, the school has commissioned close to $1 million worth of repairs to the building, which was originally built in 1957.

Included in the renovations are:

-- A new rubber roof over the entire building;

-- All classrooms are now air conditioned;

-- New individual heating systems in all classrooms;

-- Ceilings and walls were heavily insulated to reduce utility cost;

-- Old windows were removed and smaller insulated windows have been installed;

-- All restrooms, as well as the building itself, were made handicapped accessible;

-- An outdoor walkway was enclosed and a ramp was installed to a portion of the building previously accessible only by steps;

-- A new walkway was laid in front of the school, along with a drainage system to draw water away from the front of the building.

But perhaps the most profound renovation at the school can be found in the gymnasium.

During the summer of 1993, workers installed new lighting, painted the ceiling and walls of the gym, laid a new maple wood floor, removed the old bleachers and installed new chair seats.

They also installed a new heating system, hung new stage curtains, wired a new sound system and acoustical panels to carry the sound throughout the gym, remodeled a new entrance corridor with new doors and purchased a cover to protect the wooden gym floor during concerts and other non-sports events.

"We've been busy," said Superintendent Doug Berry.

"The citizens of Scott City deserve tremendous praise for having the foresight to pass the tax levy," he said. "I have been here 27 years and I have never known a tax increase or bond issue (for school purposes) to be turned down by the voters."

Berry said the students are proud of their newly remodeled facilities.

"The students go to other places for sporting events or academic competitions and see that school's facilities, comparing them to their own," said Berry. "When they come home, they are always very appreciative of what we have here."

The improvements were phased in over a three-year period, beginning in 1990. There are a few more things the district would have liked to do -- such as provide air conditioning for the cafeteria and the gymnasium -- but funds dried up more quickly than expected.

"We could have installed the air conditioning in the cafeteria, but I don't think we could have handled the increased utility bills," said Berry. "We'll just put that on the list for the next time around."

The school district supports 920 students in grades 1-12, and 92 part-time kindergarteners.

One of the main things the school wanted to accomplish in this latest and final round of renovations, was to make the entire building handicapped accessible.

That kind of move makes school an easier place to get around in, for students like Brian Garms, a first-grader with some very special needs.

Garms uses custom-made crutches to get around the building. Last year, he had to be helped up the stairs which link the gradations of the one-story building.

"They made it easier for me to get to my classes," said Garms. "I like this school very much."

Some of the older students -- especially those who use the gym frequently -- extolled the virtues of the improvements.

"I think they're so great," said Brandon Raines, a high school junior. "We've got a lot of stuff here other schools don't have. We're pretty well advanced.

"I especially like the gym floor and the sound system," he said.

Christi Shaw, an eighth grade cheerleader, said the new gym floor "makes it easier to cheer.

"I also think it makes the basketball team more confident because the gym looks nicer," Shaw said. "It's nice, too, that older people can come to the basketball games and not be uncomfortable on the bleachers -- they can sit in the chairs."

Shaw said the improvements have bolstered her pride in her school.

"I really like this school," she said. "I can't imagine being happy anywhere else."

When remodeling the gym, the school board opted to replace lower rows of bleachers with chair-backed seats.

"We had to forego 400 seats and spend an extra $30,000, but it's well worth it," said Berry. "We can still seat 1,100 in the gym which is more than adequate for a school our size."

The school spent a total of $82,000 for the individual seats, but "for the added convenience, the money was a small sacrifice," said Berry.

Additional lighting was also added to the gym, which not only makes it brighter inside, but the heat generate also cuts down on utility costs during colder weather.

"We also had a new ventilator system installed in the gym, which allows us to make it the same temperature inside that is outside," Berry said.

Randy White, the girls' basketball coach at Scott City High School, said the gym improvements have definitely brightened up his workplace.

"The whole attitude of the kids has changed," said White. "It might sound weird, but most of them love coming to (physical education class).

"The new bleacher seating is far more comfortable for parents and fans who come to watch the teams play," he said. "It really is a plus for everyone."