Thursday, December 6, 2007

Ranburne High School to use portable classrooms while new building constructed

12-06-2007
Ranburne High School Principal Trevor Kribbs looks into one of the many broken windows at the school. Cleburne County school officials plan to raze the building, then conduct classes in portable trailers while a new school is built. Photo: Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star

Paint peels, concrete crumbles and students squeeze through too-narrow hallways between their classes.

At more than 60 years old, Ranburne High School is showing its age.

Rather than provide a quick-fix face-lift, Cleburne County schools officials plan to demolish the structure and build an entirely new facility.

But in the 16-month interim of construction, the high school's campus will convert to a 25-trailer village.

"It's definitely going to bring a challenge," said Principal Trevor Kribbs.

"But I think it will run effectively. It will just be a little organized chaos there at first."

Kribbs said the benefits of a new school would be worth any inconveniences of the all-portable classroom campus.

"This building has served its purpose for almost 70 years," he said. "I just think it's time to move on. That's how the majority of my staff says they feel."

The project will be Cleburne County's first new school construction in 20 years. Superintendent Scott Coefield said the system will use its share of a state bond issue, projected at about $2.4 million, to start the project.

Cleburne County will also borrow about $6 million against its annual state allotment for facility needs.

It will be the largest project so far for a system with plans to grow.

See the full story here.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

It is a long time coming my children are the forth generation in my husbands family to go to Ranburne High School and his grandmother is in her seventies. Every year the community grows bigger and its time for a change.