Over the past few months, students and staff have been taking notice of changes occurring on campus.

As the result of Prop 4, a $68.95 million bond issue, these changes have included a turf field, new gym floor, new track, new locker rooms and weight room.

EHS is already enjoying the new turf field and track.

“I like the new track because it’s spongy and you bounce more when running,” Kari Knobbe, track and cross country runner, said. “I know the turf field is a lot easier to play on because it doesn’t get all gross when it rains, too.”

Renovations to the physical education building began, March 2.

Additions include new boy and girl athletic locker rooms. The area between the newer 800 wing and half-way down the old locker rooms is going to be a new two-story building. The second story will be the new weight room, and the first story will be locker rooms. The new locker rooms will extend the Gym B atrium. The current locker rooms will be solely for PE purposes, Dr. Jason Green, activities director, said.

PE students had to adjust to more than losing their facilities from the historic floods. The weight room is now located in Gym B’s atrium.

“The construction really hasn’t affected us that much,” Chris Krickhahn, weightlifting student, said. “The only thing that is different is that it is open now because we’re in the atrium. Class is basically the same, otherwise.”

Construction is, however, affecting spring sports.

“We can no longer take the shortcut through the locker rooms. We have to go all the way around to the 800 rooms by the Language Arts and Math hallway and go out those doors to the track,” Krickhahn, who also runs track, said. “It is like an extra five minutes or so just to get out to the track. It is annoying, but there is nothing we can do about it so we just have to deal with it. No matter what the obstacle, I am just going to continue on my grind.”

While PE students are having to adapt, they are eager for the updates.

“It is benefiting the teams,” Meredith Greer, JV cheer, said. “It will make the school better as a whole because right now it’s kind of outdated, old and smelly, especially over by the guy’s locker room.”

EHS was originally built as a senior high school, housing only grades 10-12, so the facilities haven’t accommodated the 1,886 student population for over a decade. 

“I’m pretty excited about the projects,” Dr. Green said. “The bond issue stuff was needed to be upgraded because of our growth over the years. “

The flood damaged several rooms in the PE building: both gym floors, the atriums and the aerobics and wrestling rooms. EHS is continuing to fix what was damaged while continuing the updates from Prop 4.

“One of the positives to the flood is by the time we get to next October, almost the entire complex will be brand new,” Dr. Green said. “Brand new floors, new tile and everything, so it’s pretty exciting.”

Renovations for Prop 4 are predicted to be complete by 2017. A set completion date is currently unknown.

Follow the EHS-hub on Snapchat (ehs-hub) for daily coverage of the construction progress.