Crews and teachers are working hard to put the finishing touches on the new Benton High School campus.
Whitney Clark, assistant principal at Benton High School, said that everyone, including the students, is excited to be moving into the new and spacious Benton High School.
“We are thrilled. Our teachers are excited, our students our excited. Everybody has made the move seamlessly. We are just so excited to get the students here. This is surreal,” said Clark.
Modeled after Parkway High School’s campus, the new Benton High school campus cost $47,251,654 and is approximately 205,530 square feet. It will accommodate 1,470 students and staff, with the ability to expand in the future via an additional wing.
The new Benton High School campus will include 70 classrooms. Within those 70 rooms, students and staff will enjoy two chemistry labs, two biology labs, two art rooms, a student media production room, band rehearsal hall, and more.
Students and staff will also enjoy an 8,000-square-foot media center/library, 3,500-square-foot weight room, 2,000-square-foot covered outdoor lunch area, and 5,000-square-foot indoor lunch area, among other spaces.
Serving Bossier Parish schools for 11 years, with 10 of those years in Benton, Director of Bands at Benton High School Evan McCormick calls his new band room at Benton High a “palace.”
“I’ve been telling my kids all summer that this new school is like a palace. Everything that we need is here. This is the nicest room in the parish and probably one of the nicest rooms in the state,” said McCormick.
This project was made possible as the result of a $212 million construction bond program, approved in April 2012 by Bossier Parish voters to alleviate overcrowding throughout the school district due to unprecedented growth.
McCormick thanked the Bossier Parish School Board and the taxpayers for their support of the 2012 bond issue.
“Thank you guys very much. This is going to be huge for the Benton program, and it’s going to be huge for the parish. For people across the state and the country to see what our school board and our tax payers are trying to invest in our education, it’s a really good thing to see,” McCormick said. “I know our kids appreciate it, I appreciate it, and I know my band booster parents appreciate it.”
The old Benton High School campus will now house Benton Middle School 8th graders.
The new Benton High school is located at 449 Fairburn Ave. and Tiger Pride Drive in Benton.
