Glenvar High School will turn 50 years old about the same time a 24 million dollar renovation and expansion project is completed in the fall of 2015. Branch & Associates, a local contractor, won the bid and a groundbreaking was held recently. Before that at an open house, current and past Glenvar High School students dropped by to look at old photos and reminisce about their time at the school.
The adjoining Glenvar Middle School was updated about a decade ago but the high school waited its turn while other Roanoke County Schools were renovated. David Wymmer, who represents the Catawba Magisterial District in Roanoke County, noted that students will be taking classes in trailers for the next school year as regular classrooms are updated.
Some preliminary work has already been completed but construction is scheduled to start this fall. A new science wing will be added and all of the existing classrooms will be updated or even resized. A new library will be built, with the old library space turned into offices and a new entrance to the school.
An enlarged kitchen and new dining area are also on tap; the auditorium will be upgraded with new seats and a new sound system. The gym gets a facelift as well. “All of the areas in the school will be touched … and brought up to the new standards we’ve established for our schools in Roanoke County,” said Wymmer, a retired Roanoke County educator.
There’s plenty of tradition in the tight-knit Glenvar community, noted Wymmer, and the school has been a big part of that. He adds that 200-300 people showed up for the recent open house; people sharing old memories “but anxious to see what the new school would look like.”
Many were relieved, said Wymmer, that familiar characteristics of the old high school would be retained in some fashion. Others looked forward to new technology or the upgraded heating and air conditioning system going in. “It was a good afternoon.”
Roanoke County, through recent projects like the Cave Spring Middle School renovation, has shown that it can turn around projects fairly quickly without major disruptions for students. Wymmer said that’s all about coordination between the school staff, the central office and contractors. “We go into it with the idea of trying to keep the disruptions to a minimum … and as quick a turnaround as possible.”
Dr. Marty Marsicko, director of operations and construction for the county public school system, said the Glenvar upgrade became serious with a feasibility study about two years ago. Then Roanoke-based Spectrum Design worked on the plans. “It was also on the [county’s] major capital improvement plan for a number of years,” noted Marsicko. Starting this fall it becomes a reality.
The number one goal is to make sure the education process doesn’t get compromised while contractors are working on site, said Marsicko. “The key areas won’t be touched until we have places where students can be moved in.”
Next up is Cave Spring High School which is slated for renovations, but Marsicko said that is “a number of years away,” after Glenvar is completed. There may be some finishing touches still needed but by next fall Glenvar High School students should be walking into a building they may barely recognize.
By Gene Marrano
