Students and staff walking into BASH Tuesday after the long holiday weekend noticed something markedly different – ceiling tiles were missing, letting everyone know that the high school’s renovation project is underway.

The ceiling tiles were removed to begin phase one of the multi-year plan to change the structure of the high school. Removing the tiles will allow construction workers access to the plumbing, electric, and HVAC units.

In addition to the removal of ceiling tiles, the other immediate disruption is closure of the parking area outside the gym on the north side of the school, which is a staging area and will not be accessible the rest of this school year and all next year, until August, 2017.

The first phase of the project involves construction of a new gymnasium by the athletic fields and the renovation of existing art classrooms, which should be done by the middle of next year.

“Basically, I think people need to be flexible and patient throughout the project. We’ll do our best to minimize distractions within the education process,” BASH Principal Dr. Brett Cooper said.

?Another staging area will be set up in the circle adjacent to the New Auditorium, Commons Lobby, and CUB Gym Lobby entrances until the work has been completed at that end of the building. There will be a temporary bus loop set up the spring of 2016.

The entire building plan spans 2.5  years. It will eventually move the ninth graders to the high school starting in the 2017-2018 school year, turning the old building into a Freshman Academy. This will add approximately 600 more students.

Other renovations to be done near the commons lobby include:

-moving Music (Band Orchestra, Choir) room to the current (eventually renovated) CUB gym

-moving the NJROTC classroom to the old Band Room area

In addition to the new Gymnasium with a new athletic event entrance, the project will add an “official” main entrance to the building, as well as a new Fitness Center.