School System Invests $3 Million In Renovations/Improvements For 2017-18 School Year

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County School system is investing a total of three million dollars in multiple projects at different county schools this summer that will be ongoing until the Christmas break, according to school superintendent Patrick Waddell.

Funds will be used from the school's building fund, which can only be used to invest back into building projects.

The projects include renovations to the bathrooms at ECHS, Kyrock, and the 5/6 Center, and will involve a complete gutting and rebuilding of the bathrooms including tile, toilets, urinals, sinks, plumbing, partitions, and lighting.

The remodels are hoped to be completed by the start of school, but could possibly take a bit longer. Mr. Waddell said restrooms will be readily available for all students, no matter.

The 5/6 center will also be receiving a new freezer and cooler in the kitchen that Waddell said was much needed, as well as a new main electric panel in the mechanical room at the school.

In addition to new restrooms at Kyrock, the school will also be getting a new boiler and an added cooling tower. The tower works much like a radiator and similar to a boiler, but with cool water for hot weather. ECHS and the middle school will also receive a new cooling tower that will be tied into the geothermal heating and cooling system.

Finally, the most recognized improvement for many people will be the all new, state-of-the-art industrial lighting system at Wildcat Stadium that Waddell says will light up the field like never before. The original lighting system has not been updated since the construction of the field in 1980. 

The lighting is expected to be complete before the start of the 2017 Football season. Football fans will also be happy to hear that as soon as home games are complete this year, the home bleachers and press box will be demolished and construction for a complete new setup will begin.

Wildcat fans will experience a new set of modern and more comfortable bleachers and the WildcatsLive crew will enjoy broadcasting live games from an updated press box.

"All of these renovations are long overdue," said Waddell. "It's taken about 10 years for us to build up funding for these projects, but they're going to be projects we'll all be proud of."

Waddell said he'd hoped that all of these projects could have been completed this summer but there was simply too much work involved and it just couldn't happen.

"We know that some of the construction process can be an inconvenience, but we have professionals working very hard to complete these projects and we kindly ask for your patience as the work continues. We're very proud to able to take on these projects now, and we're confident that our students, faculty, staff, parents, and all our visitors will be proud as well." ​