LINCOLN COUNTY, NC (WBTV) – About 11,500 Lincoln County Schools students will return to class on Wednesday, but families in the eastern part of the county will likely notice some construction.
The district said St. James Elementary, Catawba Springs Elementary and Rock Springs Elementary are all undergoing expansions of classrooms and common areas.
Superintendent Aaron Allen said the expansions, which will add about eight to 10 classrooms to each school, come as the district is experiencing significant growth, especially on the east end near Lake Norman.
“You’re going to see ground being moved, dirt being churned, things like that,” Allen said. “It’s an inconvenience. Think about being in the middle of the semester and having active construction on a campus with kids in it. It’s going to be a little bit of an inconvenience, but at the end of the year, people are definitely going to appreciate the added space.”
The current expansion is the first phase of a two-year project.
Dr. Allen said the expansion will be paid for through a combination of county and lottery funds, so it will not come out of the district’s budget.
There are also much-needed sports lighting upgrades happening across the county.
The superintendent said thanks to a $4.1 million grant from the state, the district has updated the lighting on all four high school football fields, with the tennis courts, softball, baseball and soccer fields coming next.
Allen said the school did not meet North Carolina High School Athletic Association lighting standards and would likely not be eligible to host regional tournaments. Now, the school has not only upgraded its lighting, but also added some amenities to go along with it.
“This is what I call fan experience lighting,” he said. “It’s not just standard base lighting. It’s tying the lights together with the music to really engage people in the experience that’s already happening on Friday nights and Thursday nights, and it really builds on that community culture and community vibrancy.”
Allen said the district is grateful that the state grant not only fixed the problem but allowed it to carry out an overhaul without tapping into the district’s budget.
All sports facilities are expected to be updated by late winter or early spring.
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