COVENTRY TWP.: Sarah Horn can hardly wait to start her senior year at Coventry High School.
Her excitement, however, is not rooted in the fact that it is her final year of high school. It is generated by an impressive new school building.
“It’s amazing! I feel lucky that I will be in the first graduating class. I get bragging rights about being in the first class to graduate from this new building,” said Sarah, 17, who plays on the volleyball team. “My favorite part of the building so far is the gym because we didn’t even have a gym at the old building — we had to play at the middle school. And I’m really excited about my art class because we have a patio area where we can work outside.”
The new three-story, $30 million, 125,800-square-foot building, at 1135 Portage Lakes Drive, officially opens Wednesday, when freshmen and sophomores return from summer break. Juniors and seniors return on Thursday. All students will be in school for the first time on Friday.
“The staggered start times give us an opportunity to make sure all students get acclimated to the new building and can do things, like open their new lockers,” principal Neal Kopp said. “We’re so excited. So many people were involved in getting us to this point. The challenge now for us, as teachers, students, parents and community members, is to take ownership and pride in this building.”
Those who have toured the building, including about 1,200 people who walked through during an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, are ready for that challenge.
“There is no comparison, when it comes to the old building. We actually have windows — something we didn’t have in the old building. And when I look around my classroom, I can’t ask for anything else,” said Tereza Welling, a chemistry and physics teacher. “I’ve got my own gas burner and so much more seating. At the other building, I had to ask at least a week in advance to teach a lab because the burner was in another classroom. Everything here is high tech. It’s so nice and we’re going to keep it that way.”
The front entrance of the building is marked by a map of the Portage Lakes that details where the high school is located. The blue and yellow rubber floor tiles give a feel of waves and water throughout the building’s hallways.
The student and event entrance, at the back of the building, includes a blue, wave-patterned canopy. Also at the rear of the building is a 60-foot flagpole, between the building and football field, which was purchased with donations from the community.
In addition to the patio area off of the art classroom, other highlights in the building include a 600-seat cafetorium area that can be used as a cafeteria, auditorium or testing area; a state-of-the art media center; separate band and choir rooms; a 900-seat competition gymnasium, which incorporates the 1920 sandstone Coventry Township High School nameplate, and an auxiliary gym with batting cages that will be used for physical education classes.
The gyms, cafetorium, band and choir areas and administrative offices are on the first floor. The art room is the centerpiece of the second floor, which houses the language arts and math classrooms. The third floor is home to the science and social studies classrooms.
In addition to the new high school, the district, which is in fiscal emergency, completed renovations at the former high school building to house kindergarten through fourth grade. Modular units have been added at Coventry Middle School to accommodate fifth through eighth grades.
The three buildings are within a half-mile of each other and all have city sewer and water, which Superintendent Russell Chaboudy said will save the district money.
“We will see a drop in transportation costs and in repairs because of the renovations in our existing buildings and the new high school,” Chaboudy said. “We have paid off some debt with our interest-free state loan, made some reductions in our budget and created efficiency with our buildings. We are looking at a $1.8 million carryover this year and are on track to move from fiscal emergency to a positive five-year forecast in a year.”
Chaboudy said if the district stays on its current financial path and can pass a renewal levy in May, there should be no new levies on the horizon and no need for academic cuts.
“The May levy is a renewal — no new taxes,” Chaboudy said. “We are closely monitoring our budget, we are moving in the right direction and the financial future is looking much brighter. We even came in on time and $1 million under budget on this new high school.”
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at www.twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.