Construction underway at Highland Community School District

RIVERSIDE - Big changes are happening in the Highland Community School District with many projects happening thanks to the bond referendum passed last fall.

Superintendent Ken Crawford said four major projects are taking place with funding from the referendum. At Highland High School, a new HVAC system is currently being installed, new windows will come soon and an additional storage area is being added to the music room. At Highland Elementary School, a new playground and surface are being installed.

Due to school letting out early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Crawford said crews were able to get a bit of an early start on projects. In the high school, all the rooms have been cleared out and walls torn into in order to remove the old system.

The walls and roof are being repaired as the new HVAC system is installed, he said. The locker rooms are also being completely remodeled to provide better storage.

'It's just one of those areas that are not very nice but we're cleaning it up so we can use it,” he said.

The kitchen also will be getting an upgrade with a new freezer that will be inside the building. Crawford said the existing freezer is outside and needs replaced.

The music room is also under construction and will be expanded to include a new storage space. The band and choir share the room, he said, and need the extra space to store supplies.

The gym floors at both the high school and Highland Middle School are being refinished and four middle school classrooms are receiving new epoxy, he said.

'The middle school and high school are having a lot of business going on out there,” he said.

At the elementary, the 1974 playground is being replaced with a brand-new structure, he said. A new rubberized surface will exist under the playground as well.