Amherst High addition nears finish: turf, kitchen and classroom moves under way

Administrators gave the school board a construction progress update for Amherst County High School, reporting that the field house turf was being installed, kitchen equipment and freezers had been tested, and interior work continues on classrooms, the former auditorium and new labs.

Project managers and the high school principal showed photos documenting recent milestones. The field house netting and batting cages are installed, and crews were laying synthetic turf that required stitching and adhesive work. Kitchen floors and hood systems were in place and staff planned to begin moving kitchen equipment the week after the meeting. A freezer had been turned on for testing, and the serving line equipment had begun arriving.

Work inside the building included poured fill in the old auditorium area to create new classroom space, masonry work to form a concrete wall, plumbing installations for the nursing lab, and demolition of the old band and choir rooms to make way for a cosmetology lab. Administrators said crews will soon begin construction of the cosmetology space and the agricultural lab areas.

Administrators told the board that paving to the field house was being completed and that restrooms and concession stands will be available for upcoming events. The principal and facilities staff described daily coordination with contractors to keep construction zones secured and to minimize impact on student movement; they said the work areas are roped off, staffed during class changes and closely supervised.

Board members asked about budget status; administrators said the project remained “in good shape” financially and offered to provide figures on request. Several board members thanked facilities staff for heavy personal commitments on the project. The administration said teachers of foreign language classes would move into new classrooms the week after the meeting and that students would begin classes in the renovated spaces promptly after staff work days.

Administrators emphasized student safety: construction zones are enclosed, adults monitor hallways during class changes, and contractors coordinate operationally with school leaders before any activity that could affect student areas. Officials said the project schedule calls for additional interior finishes, wall framing in the auditorium area, and the start of cosmetology and agricultural lab work in the near term.