RED BAY | Students returning to Red Bay School this fall will be greeted by a dramatically new look throughout the elementary and junior high buildings following an extensive summer renovation project.
The renovations stretch from the elementary hallway through the junior high building, bringing new flooring, fresh paint and significant classroom upgrades designed to improve both the appearance and functionality of the campus.
One of the most noticeable changes is in the junior high classrooms, where the longtime wall-to-wall windows, dating back to the building’s construction more than 70 years ago, have been replaced with smaller, more energy-efficient windows set within new brick facades. The project also includes new heating and air conditioning units intended to make classrooms easier and less expensive to heat and cool.
New flooring throughout the buildings, cleaner aesthetics in hidden wiring, and new wall paint are among the other major improvements funded by both the Franklin County Schools system and the City of Red Bay through its Education Fund.
Red Bay High School Principal Brady Ramey said the improvements have been years in the making and will have a lasting impact on students and faculty.
“It’s going to be awesome when we get it finished,” Ramey said. “It changes the whole look of our school.”
While the aesthetic improvements are immediately noticeable, Ramey said the window replacement project also addresses important security and classroom concerns.
“I think it’s been in the plan for a few years to do that,” he said. “The old windows security-wise, they came over the whole room. That was an issue. Also, heating and cooling – you have all those old windows that weren’t very efficient.”
Additional changes inside the classrooms include the removal of interior windows that once opened into the hallways, a common design feature in older school buildings.
“In toward the hall, you had windows that opened into the hallway,” Ramey explained. “They’ve closed those up, so you’re not disturbed by somebody going up and down the halls as easily as you were. It was so open from one room to the next that you could hear what was going on.”
Construction crews have worked throughout the summer to keep the project on schedule, with teachers expected to return Aug. 3 and students arriving Aug. 7.
“They’ve done a fantastic job,” Ramey said. “They’ve done a really good job to be in position for us.”
The renovations coincide with Ramey’s first summer in the new high school office building, which was completed in the spring. He said settling into the new building has been similar to moving into a new home.
“It’s been good,” he said. “It’s just when you move offices, it’s like moving homes. You’re trying to get everything, learning where the new place is, where you put stuff. It’s been good that we’ve had the summer to adjust and kind of get things where we want them.”
Although much of the visible work is nearing completion, additional construction is still planned.
Ramey said plans have been submitted to the state for approval for the next phase, which will include replacing the current senior high classroom wing. Once state approval is received, the district will begin the bidding process.
The project will replace the remaining six classrooms still housed in the older building after teachers were gradually relocated into newer sections of the campus.
The old senior high building will eventually be demolished and replaced with new high school classrooms, continuing the district’s long-term effort to modernize the campus. Ramey said the additional classrooms will also help the district eventually move away from relying on the old band hall, the campus’s oldest building that has seen numerous stays on demolition.
Ramey said the improvements represent a significant investment by the Franklin County Board of Education and the City of Red Bay in the community’s students and staff.
“I definitely want to thank Mr. (Greg) Hamilton and the (Franklin County Schools) board,” he said. “They have made a huge investment in improving our school because it’s totally changed everything about the appearance of it. And the mayor and Red Bay City Council’s contribution allowed us to not just renovate the classrooms but to add the hallways to our remodel. Our students are going to start school in facilities far better than what they’ve ever had here – far better than they were last year.”
