Due to contractual issues, workers have still not begun to rebuild the BHS auditorium, which has been in disrepair since the high school renovation in 2013.

Administrators estimated that the space would be ready for use by the Fall of 2015. But the auditorium is not ready for use.

“All the carpeting has been pulled up, the seats have been removed and all of the ceiling tiles and drywall soffits are gone,” Superintendent Robert Hardis said.

At the time the original high school was built, sprinkler systems were not required in all locations. During the renovation two years ago, new sprinklers were installed throughout most of the building. The auditorium was not part of the planned renovation project, but was unexpectedly added when the installation of a fire suppression system could not be delayed.

In order to install the sprinklers in the auditorium, workers had to remove walls and tear out the ceiling to ensure safe construction. In such an unfinished state, the auditorium could not be occupied.

According to Hardis, the design phase of the auditorium renovation was completed smoothly, and the new layout will address all the problems with the old design. The renovation will improve the space for all future uses of the auditorium.

The district first hired Albert M. Higley Co. as the construction management firm that would develop bid packages, allowing companies to bid on parts of the construction process.

“In theory, the lowest bidder who can show that they’ve accounted for all the work… gets awarded that contract,” Hardis said. Yet the bids did not seem competitive. Hardis further explained  that they were above market prices.

District leaders felt that part of the reason for that discrepancy lay in the structure of its contract with Higley, so they ended the contract.

“We didn’t feel right spending taxpayer money overpaying on something we know ought to be several hundred thousand dollars less,” Hardis said.

Upon signing with Scaparotti Consulting Group for construction management services, district leaders hoped to reformulate the bid packages and bring the bids down. This process takes a significant amount of time, delaying the construction.

Hardis estimates the total cost of the project to be about $4.6 million. This number will not be final until bid packages have been selected.

Despite the problems in the bidding process, Hardis says the design for the auditorium remains the same. The seating will form a soft curve in contrast to its former wedge-like shape. At the lowest level, the seats will no longer be at stage level, but will be slightly below ground. This will allow better overall viewing of the stage. There are also plans for a better lighting and sound system as well as a complete renovation of the backstage areas like dressing rooms and scene shop.

Currently, the administration is working on obtaining fair contracts, which are estimated to be approved by the Board of Education in mid-September. Following mobilization of workers and equipment, construction on the auditorium will hopefully commence by November.

At publication, Hardis expects the auditorium to be complete by July 15, 2016.

In the past few years, assemblies have been relocated to the gym or community room. One of the biggest changes students are looking forward to is assemblies being held in the auditorium again.

Assistant Principal Ryan Patti was hired after the auditorium was closed off. He pointed out that the gym has a big enough seating capacity for the student body.

“We just work around it,” he said.

On the other hand, there are some inconveniences.

“The sound quality is not as good in the gym…everything just echoes,” said guidance counselor Ashley Saferight, who has also not worked at BHS while the auditorium was in use.

Additionally, some students have been frustrated by the need to hold their events in different places.

In the past, the high school auditorium has also served as a performance hall for many groups. Student concerts, drama productions and community events have been moved to other locations such as the high school gym and middle school auditorium.

“White and Gold… [has been] at the middle school for the past two years,” Patti said.

This year’s seniors are the only current class that would have worked on White and Gold when it was held in the high school auditorium.

“[It’s a little difficult for] students who have had previous experiences with it being held in a larger space, on a bigger stage, with more lighting capabilities,” said Saferight, who is the adviser for White and Gold. “A lot of students who are part of the show don’t necessarily know the difference yet.”

However, Saferight notes that the construction has affected other programs even more.

“The biggest impact of not having an auditorium has been on the drama program,” she said.

Students who have been active in drama club agree that the auditorium should have been completed faster.

“The last show that was in [the auditorium] was Rent. That was [my] freshman year,” said senior Jasmine Howard, who is part of the school’s drama club.

The school’s spring and fall plays are currently performed in the community room, which lacks the setup that an auditorium supplies, including proper lighting and sound equipment.

“It’s a smaller space and it’s much more difficult to work with,” Howard explained. “It would be lovely to have a theater.”

Although construction on the auditorium is on track to completion, it won’t mean the end for renovation in the high school.

Future projects include construction on the pool as well as all of the outdoor athletic facilities between the high school and middle school. In particular, the athletic facilities project has formed a committee assessing the needs of the renovation. These are expected to be addressed over the next several years.