Published: April 04, 2008 04:15 pm            

Aline-Cleo set to open new high school

By Christmas break this year, Aline-Cleo High School students will have a new place to call home.

Groundbreaking for the new Aline-Cleo High School and gymnasium was in November 2007, according to superintendent Dwayne Noble. Construction is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving this year, with move-in tentatively scheduled for Christmas break.

Right now, Kerr 3, the Edmond-based construction company building the school, is demolishing the back part of the gymnasium and will begin erecting the frame for the new stage shortly afterward. By the end of April, Noble said the framework for the high school should be started.

Much of the concrete work is done, Noble said, and demolition should also be completed soon.

“It’s coming along,” he said.

The new high school is being funded with a $1.2 million bond issue, which was passed last year. The news initially brought mixed reactions from community members, as the passage of the bond meant the demolition of the old high school building.

Noble said the current building, which was built in the early 1900s, would be more costly to remodel than to build a new facility.

“It’s definitely time for a facelift,” he said.

Alumni told the News & Eagle in July 2007 they were “disappointed” and “sad” to see the old school go.

“I have talked to a lot of older alumni, and they all tell me it breaks their hearts to see that building go,” Louise Goodno, a 1950 Aline graduate, said.

But opinions have changed since then, and Noble said at a recent meeting with alumni, the drawings of the future building were well-received.

“It’s a statement that we’re going to be around for a while, and that we’re moving forward,” Noble said.

The student body is excited about the new building, according to Noble, and he said students often ask him for updates on the construction.

“Everyone’s wanting to hurry and get it done,” he said.

In addition to the new building, which will be connected to the current cafeteria, plans also include a new floor and new siding for the gym. A stage, two classrooms and a science room will be added to the back of the gym. After the old high school building is demolished, a courtyard and parking lot will be built where it stood.

“It’s a very exciting atmosphere (at Aline-Cleo) right now,” Noble said.