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Smyrna High's $38.42 million expansion highlighted in district communications report
Summary
The district's communications presentation showcased the Smyrna High School $38,420,000 expansion and rising social media reach; officials said the new wing adds classrooms, labs and career-technical spaces and the district's social channels amplified the ribbon-cutting video to tens of thousands of views.
At the Feb. 20 work session James Evans presented the communications report and showed a district-produced video about Smyrna High School's recently completed expansion.
Evans said: "Smyrna High School cut the ribbon on its $38,420,000 expansion. At more than 95,000 square feet, the 2 story addition provides Smyrna High School with 38 classrooms and lab spaces ... With the expansion, Smyrna High can serve up to 2,500 students under 1 roof." The presentation listed career technical education programs housed in the new space, including cosmetology, health science, a STEM lab, criminal justice and audio-visual production.
Evans also told the board the video achieved broad reach across district social channels: he reported about 419 YouTube views, more than 10,000 Facebook views, roughly 17,500 Instagram views and about 11,600 views on X (formerly Twitter), for a combined total the presenter gave as about 39,580 views and said about 40% of viewers were not already district followers.
Why it matters: The expansion increases campus capacity and provides new CTE and language supports; the communications metrics illustrate the district's ability to reach larger audiences for major capital projects and events.
Evans noted the project opened earlier than projected and that part of the campus renovation included 16,000 square feet of renovated space including the cafeteria; he credited Goodwyn Mills Cawood as project architect and RG Anderson Company as general contractor and thanked the board, county commission and state legislative delegation for support.
Evans outlined communications plans for March: recruiting student influencers at each high school to generate content for district channels and a summer paid internship selected from those contributors. Board members asked about promotional videos about high school programs; Evans confirmed a planned multi-minute promotional video and shorter clips to highlight CTE opportunities.
Ending: The board accepted the communications report and moved on to the next agenda items; staff said more detailed channel metrics and calendar invitations for student-influencer activities will follow.
