The new addition at Decatur’s Renfroe Middle School should open when the school year begins in August. But Superintendent David Dude said this week the new Decatur High School building probably will take another half year, ideally opening after Christmas break in Jan. 2018.
Renfroe’s new structure will feature 14 classrooms and a combination cafeteria/auditorium on the first floor and 10 classrooms on the second floor. The current cafeteria is being repurposed into seven classrooms and the new bus drop-off is now behind the school.
The new wing allows for the adding of a third floor if needed.
When finished the new DHS building features a first-floor library/media center, five classrooms on the second floor and five more on the third. The current library—known for decades as “the saucer—gets turned into a career tech center, while the interior of the original building gets some light renovation including bigger stairwells.
Although subsequent construction phases for both schools have been discussed with tentative plans drawn up, nothing is currently budgeted. Dude has said the next planning phase will commence around this time next year or the beginning of the 2018-19 school year.
About the Author
