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CARRBORO -- Students, staff and parents at Carrboro High School have received a double dose of good news about an arts wing at the school for which they vigorously lobbied as an educational and cultural necessity.
The Board of Orange County Commissioners last week approved a financing application that will fund construction of the wing.
That alone was great news, but what really surprised arts wing advocates is that construction should begin in January, and if everything goes according to schedule, the building is scheduled to be completed by next September.
"That was a big surprise, a very good surprise," said Brett Stegall, who teaches acting at the school.
Since the school opened in 2007, chorus, band, orchestra, theater students and art students have been crowding into classrooms and sharing space with each other or using space that was intended to be used for something else. For example, the band meets in a room that was supposed to be a weight room.
The chorus has held concerts in the hallways of the school, and the theater productions have been held at various other schools in the system, including Culbreth Middle School, East Chapel Hill High School and Chapel Hill High School. Once they put on a production in the school commons where the cafeteria is located, but that didn't really work out so well, Stegall said.
Now they're looking forward to a wing where each group can have its own space, and they'll be able to invite guests to Carrboro High School for plays and concerts.
The arts wing will include an auditorium with approximately 500 seats, a scene shop for building sets, a costume and prop room, and a black box theater, Stegall said.
The chorus, band and orchestra each will have its own space to meet and practice.
On Tuesday, the County Commissioners approved a financing application under the Qualified School Construction Bond program. The cost of the project is estimated to be $4,557,300.
The federal stimulus money is being made available through the N.C. General Assembly for construction, rehabilitation or repair for a public school.
The loan amount cannot exceed $4,136,434, meaning the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will likely have to use approximately $441,000 in pay-as-you-go funds to complete the financing.
The application is due Dec. 1, and school officials expect a quick turn-around on the bidding process and the start of construction.
The arts wing will be located near the front entrance to the school on the grassy lawn area above the guest parking lot.
Carrboro High School opened in 2007, but while the school was a model for energy savings, it did not include a cultural arts wing.
