By CHAD COOPER
With less than a month remaining before students walk through the doors of Southern Gap High School for the first time, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on Buchanan County’s new consolidated campus.
Construction Superintendent Tim Burge updated the Buchanan County School Board during its July 13 meeting at the Buchanan County Government Center, expressing confidence the school will be ready when classes begin Aug. 21.
“We got a lot going on getting ready to open the school,” Burge told board members before outlining the progress made over the past several weeks.
Among the most visible accomplishments is the completion of the football field’s artificial turf, while crews continue installing sidewalks throughout the campus. Work also continues on the sound systems for both the football stadium and gymnasium, while flooring installation has entered its final stages.
Inside the nearly 200,000-square-foot facility, classrooms are rapidly taking shape. Burge said casework installation is almost complete, final paint touch-ups are nearing completion, and kitchen equipment is being connected. The remaining exterior glass is expected to be installed, while heating and air conditioning systems are currently being started up and balanced.
The move into the building has already begun.
Burge told the board that boxes from the county’s former high schools started arriving last week, while furniture deliveries officially began the day of the meeting.
Over the coming weeks, contractors will focus on completing asphalt paving, installing sod around the front of the school, finishing the gymnasium floor, completing the remaining flooring in a handful of areas, installing ceiling tiles and furnishing classrooms and offices. Fence installation also continues around the football stadium and the baseball and softball facilities.
During the presentation, board members viewed photographs highlighting many of the school’s finished spaces, including the auditorium, band room, wrestling room, business and science labs, foreign language classrooms, sensory room and multiple academic classrooms. Images also showcased the Eagles sculpture completed by local artist Johnny Hagerman with assistance from local CTE students that welcomes visitors inside the new school.
The board also watched a brief drone video by recent Grundy High School graduate Teddy Smith showcasing the school’s interior.
Knox school board member Tommy Blankenship asked Burge whether responsibility had been determined should the building experience settlement or structural issues in the future.
Burge said the building was constructed according to engineering plans and specifications.
“The civil engineer has designed the structure on what to set the structure on,” Burge said. “We did exactly what they said to do, and that’s on the engineers. They’re the ones that designed what to set the building on, and then we built it according to the plans. That’s all we can do.”
He added that the site was prepared in accordance with the approved engineering plans. He acknowledged that any future dispute over structural issues would likely involve the engineers responsible for the design.
Blankenship concluded by asking the question many Buchanan County families have been wondering for months.
“Is the school going to be ready?” he asked.
Burge responded without hesitation.
“Yes, it will,” Burge said. “If it’s not ready, it will be ready. There is no fail. It will open on the 21st.”
Southern Gap High School is scheduled to welcome students for the first day of classes on Friday, Aug. 21. The new school will serve students in grades 8-12 and unites the former Grundy, Hurley, Council and Twin Valley high schools under one roof for the first time in county history.
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