ECHS Replaces Original Wooden Bleachers After 43 Years

New bleachers at ECHS after 43 years.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A staple of Edmonson County High School has now disappeared, thanks to Father Time and a need for upgrades in the ECHS gymnasium.

The school system just saw completion of a $340K project to replace all the original wooden bleachers in the ECHS gym, along with hardware, rails, and the opening/closing system of the bleachers.

The new seating is made of aluminum, steel, and commercial grade plastic and gives the gym a totally new look.

ECHS gym after the original wooden bleachers were removed.

Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander said there were several reasons the bleachers needed to be updated.

"The original bleachers were installed in 1981. While they still looked passable to the casual observer, the motors and drives controlling them opening and closing were broken and parts had become obsolete," he said.

He said the bleachers simply remained out throughout basketball season because of their issues, which also made P.E. classes much less effective.

New bleachers at ECHS on the visitors' side.

Original bleachers removed on the visitors' side.

ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams said the process to remove the old bleachers was a tedious one.

"Each board had to be carefully removed one-at-a-time by unbolting it and then stacking the board," he said. "It was a very slow and calculated process."

Edmonson County was one of the only public high schools in the state that still had wooden bleachers. Sports writers from all around KY would routinely mention the nostalgia of the gym because of them.

Many of the boards were cracked and the flooring was also past the point of repair.

Many folks will miss the memories of "STAY OFF BLEACHERS WHEN CLOSED," in blue letters (which students loved to defy) over the shiny varnished wood, but the new bleachers have more room, handrails, and are more comfortable.

Williams said the amount of gum on the back of the boards was impressive.

"I'm sure I put a few pieces on there when I was in school," he said.

View of the home side after wooden bleachers were removed.

New bleachers on the home side of ECHS gym.

The chair-backed seats on the home side underwent no change as they were replaced several years ago, along with the home student section.

The visitor student section underneath the state championship banner was recently badly broken by a visiting school.

Mr. Alexander said the project was approved last spring but lead time for manufacturing delayed installation until now.

"The new bleachers give our high school a more updated look," Alexander said. "With the age and other issues of the original bleachers, the school board felt it was a necessity to replace them. We hope our community and visitors enjoy them."

Video of gym floor in 2020 after new paint and refinish: shows part of original bleachers: