Campus receiving upgrades

Boone was established in 1954, making it the oldest high school in the district. Naturally, the building has aged over time, forcing it to go through quite a bit of remodeling over the years.

Over summer break, several campus upgrades were made to Boone, with the most obvious probably being three new televisions in the cafeteria.

On the televisions, a gallery of weather reports, student achievements, important reminders and club updates are displayed.

Other renovations made to the school include new signs outside, freshly painted tunnels (now blue and gray to match the other hallways) and refurbished lettering above the front doors that says “Boone County High School Main Office.”

Before winter break, principal Tim Schlotman spoke about how the school is in the process of adding water bottle filling stations around. He also said that there were plans to replace the old partitions in the bathrooms, which was completed.

There have even been upgrades made that affect Boone’s football, soccer and track fans. Schlotman said the old, rusted concession doors outside are gone, and that brand new ones have taken their place.

New baseboards lining the hallways and the installation of new lockers are among other major changes that had been made to Boone’s campus.

Getting new lockers has been a lengthy four-year project. A new hallway is being renovated every summer break, leaving the school with only two more sets of lockers to go, Schlotman said.

While individual classrooms didn’t get their turn this past summer, Schlotman did address rumors about getting new white boards; he said that the school is working on it.

It can be a difficult and time consuming process to revamp the campus, especially if Boone is the one paying for it. Any upgrades payed for by the school itself must be approved by the district office.

Of all the improvements made this summer, the district office payed for two: the concession stand doors and partitions. Schlotman said that Boone provided the money for everything else.

In order for more extensive upgrades to be made to the building, such as new bathrooms or locker rooms, the school board’s approval is required.

Schlotman said that he’d like to see an updated auditorium if any major renovations were to happen soon.

Schlotman believes that these improvements will help students take more pride in their school and enjoy being at Boone.

“If we can make the facility look better, then kids are happier to be here,” he said.

Boone junior Autumn Jones agreed.

“(The upgrades) really have helped enrich the school and made my experience here at Boone better,” Jones said.

She also spoke about the importance of keeping the school looking good, saying that the physical appearance of Boone affects more than just the students, but “adds to the community pride” as well.

Junior Kyley Bland believes that the upgrades improve more than just school spirit.

“(The upgrades) make me have a better environment for learning,” she said.

Like many other students in the school, Bland and Jones thought that one upgrade in particular really helps them understand what’s going on around campus.

“(The televisions) help me stay up on the daily announcements that I sometimes miss in first block … but now I can just read it while I’m at lunch,” Jones said.

Bland said that the televisions keep her updated on sports events and students’ individual achievements that she wouldn’t have otherwise known about.