The 2024-2025 school year has kicked off, but it’s leaving students feeling concerned about the state of the building. Some specific areas of concern are how the construction is affecting the students, if bathrooms are functioning properly, and if there is ever an end in sight for the renovation of Westerville South.
It’s a school’s duty to ensure that all students feel safe and secure in the building, but construction of the school has been ongoing since before the current seniors even came to South. Students and staff are left wondering why it’s taking so long, and why projects that were said to be completed months ago still have little progress.
Construction
Students noticed during the first week of school that there were new construction projects affecting the building. The theater lobby, where student thespians would often hangout, is completely blocked off for renovation, as well as the area that used to connect the blue wing to the auxiliary gym. This has affected rehearsal’s for the student directed one acts because the theater lobby is where many used to rehearse.
Westerville South’s principal, Michael Hinze, stated that in a perfect world these areas would be blocked off only until November of this year. Unfortunately, he said with the way other projects have been going, he would not be surprised if these areas are blocked until as late as November 2025.
He also revealed that a new elevator is set to be put in close to the main office; and if it is installed in the next month, it’ll be the first project that actually went according to plan.
It has become clear that the continued construction is a big issue because it seems like as one project gets finished, another arises in its place. From the poll, Ongoing School Issues, conducted by The Scribe, multiple students had something to say about the construction.
Senior Cole Miller stated that there have been times when he’s been trying to do his work but was distracted by various smells and sounds of the construction, such as tar and drills.
Another student, Alicia Keenan, a junior and Color Guard member, stated that for extracurricular activities, she finds it difficult to find space that’s available to practice or rehearse due to the construction and has to resort to smaller rooms.
Some staff members were also interviewed to share their experiences. Lisa Baughman, known as the school’s AP World teacher, stated that it “feels like forever” since the construction first began. She also feels that the school’s new common spaces are hard to manage, as they are often misused by student’s trying to skip class.
Hinze doesn’t have a solution for these complaints, and he does not feel that the construction has been going as planned. Accordingly, he revealed that legal action is being taken against two contractors that never finished moving the tubing from underneath the floors to the surface of the building.
Keenan also stated that the exposed wires on the ceiling in the theater hallway make her feel “unsafe and uncomfortable”, as she’s often seen spilled water on the floor which could potentially result in an electrical problem.
Hinze explained that the exposed wires seen around the school are not electrical wires but internet wires. The custodial team and specific contractors are told to keep them away during instructional hours; however, he said this does not always happen.
There is also the predicament of the vacant cafe outside the Media Center, which was supposed to open last school year. Hinze mentioned there is currently no running water in the area due to a piping issue, and there is also a staffing issue with no one to actually run the cafe. According to Brent Kasler, the district’s assistant manager for food services, the plan is to open the cafe this year. He also stated that they are working on finding staff, and figuring out a solution to an outlet for the coffee machine.
Bathrooms
For the last two years, there has been the issue of nonfunctional bathrooms. Some, such as the orange wing women’s bathroom, are often seen closed off for days due to student’s flushing foreign objects and misusing toilet paper.
The upstairs blue wing women’s bathroom is also a cause for concern, as it has been known to have shifted toilets that are unusable. This can cause students to have to run around to find a functioning bathroom.
Junior Asher Light, stated that in terms of the bathrooms, he has seen a multitude of problems.
“The floors are often sticky and dirty. Many stalls are often missing toilet paper and sometimes even locks. On multiple different occasions, I have had to hold the door closed for my friends because the doors can’t stay closed/locked. The faucets function unpredictably, sometimes not working at all. I try to avoid the bathrooms whenever possible,” Light said.
Hinze stated that it’s unknown if the toilets in the upstairs blue wing bathroom were ever even installed correctly in the first place. He also mentioned that the maintenance department is contacted whenever issues like these arise and requests are put in to fix the problem areas.
Hinze made it clear that there is currently no specific end in sight for the renovation of Westerville South.
