Southeast Bulloch High School students are in for a treat Wednesday when they return to school. The newly constructed building is going to be a delight, officials say.
Wide open spaces, a roomy media center, an impressive gymnasium and the first real auditorium in a Bulloch County high school in 50 years are only part of what makes the new Southeast Bulloch High School exciting, said Charles Wilson, an assistant superintendent for Bulloch County schools.
In spite of what may appear to be last-minute construction, the school will be completed by Wednesday, when school begins, he said.
"I have complete confidence that, come Aug. 1, this school will be ready for students to return and school to begin."
Parking and student drop-offs will be different form in the past, but should go about without a hitch, he said.
Parents bringing their children to school will enter the school grounds from Black Creek Church Road and drop students off at the rear of the school, he said.
Bus drop-offs will remain the same, discharging students from the regular drop-off between Southeast Bulloch High and Middle schools. Students riding buses will enter the school from the cafeteria, which leads directly to the commons area.
Students will have ample parking in the front of the school, with two lots available. No parking permits will be sold, as there is expected to be ample parking for both students and staff, Wilson said.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Bobby Costlow, assistant principal and athletic director at Southeast Bulloch High. "Moving from a building that is 55 years old into this facility that is new is exciting."
Teachers are excited about the new building as well, he said. It is spacious, well-designed and beautiful, he said.
One point he likes, from a safety standpoint, is that " at a key point, you can stand and see down every wing."
The commons area in the center of the school flows from the cafeteria, all with a terrazzo floor. Wilson said the school's wings can be locked down and events held at the school can be held in the gym, commons area and cafeteria.
The media center is 500 square feet larger than state requirements and will offer students plenty of room. Offices are sectioned so that students visiting counselors, the school nurse or the principal will be kept separated from other visitors to the office. And the offices and media center feature hardy carpet tile, sturdy, attractive and easy to maintain, he said.
Teacher mail boxes are located in a hallway near the commons area, making it easier for them to access than if they were inside the school offices, he said.
The auditorium, the first to be included in a Bulloch school in 50 years, connects to the drama classrooms and seats 300. Each seat has a fold-down testing table and can be used as a multi-purpose room, he said.
The school's four new wings incorporates only one part of the "old" school - the vocational wing built in 1999. Wilson said "To me, that was the beginning of the new school."
The gym is spacious and impressive, with built-in bleachers on one side and retractable bleachers on the other.
The school, built to hold 1,200 students, currently houses 875 students, he said.
"This design really works out," Costlow said. "It is very functional and roomy. The god thing about it is the teachers had a lot of say-so. They (school board members, officials and architects) listened to what the teachers needed in the classroom. I'm looking forward to working here. "
Wilson said county work being done on the Brooklet-Denmark Road should not interfere with school traffic.
Wide open spaces, a roomy media center, an impressive gymnasium and the first real auditorium in a Bulloch County high school in 50 years are only part of what makes the new Southeast Bulloch High School exciting, said Charles Wilson, an assistant superintendent for Bulloch County schools.
In spite of what may appear to be last-minute construction, the school will be completed by Wednesday, when school begins, he said.
"I have complete confidence that, come Aug. 1, this school will be ready for students to return and school to begin."
Parking and student drop-offs will be different form in the past, but should go about without a hitch, he said.
Parents bringing their children to school will enter the school grounds from Black Creek Church Road and drop students off at the rear of the school, he said.
Bus drop-offs will remain the same, discharging students from the regular drop-off between Southeast Bulloch High and Middle schools. Students riding buses will enter the school from the cafeteria, which leads directly to the commons area.
Students will have ample parking in the front of the school, with two lots available. No parking permits will be sold, as there is expected to be ample parking for both students and staff, Wilson said.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Bobby Costlow, assistant principal and athletic director at Southeast Bulloch High. "Moving from a building that is 55 years old into this facility that is new is exciting."
Teachers are excited about the new building as well, he said. It is spacious, well-designed and beautiful, he said.
One point he likes, from a safety standpoint, is that " at a key point, you can stand and see down every wing."
The commons area in the center of the school flows from the cafeteria, all with a terrazzo floor. Wilson said the school's wings can be locked down and events held at the school can be held in the gym, commons area and cafeteria.
The media center is 500 square feet larger than state requirements and will offer students plenty of room. Offices are sectioned so that students visiting counselors, the school nurse or the principal will be kept separated from other visitors to the office. And the offices and media center feature hardy carpet tile, sturdy, attractive and easy to maintain, he said.
Teacher mail boxes are located in a hallway near the commons area, making it easier for them to access than if they were inside the school offices, he said.
The auditorium, the first to be included in a Bulloch school in 50 years, connects to the drama classrooms and seats 300. Each seat has a fold-down testing table and can be used as a multi-purpose room, he said.
The school's four new wings incorporates only one part of the "old" school - the vocational wing built in 1999. Wilson said "To me, that was the beginning of the new school."
The gym is spacious and impressive, with built-in bleachers on one side and retractable bleachers on the other.
The school, built to hold 1,200 students, currently houses 875 students, he said.
"This design really works out," Costlow said. "It is very functional and roomy. The god thing about it is the teachers had a lot of say-so. They (school board members, officials and architects) listened to what the teachers needed in the classroom. I'm looking forward to working here. "
Wilson said county work being done on the Brooklet-Denmark Road should not interfere with school traffic.