Video: Guthrie Junior High renovations now underway

Phase one is officially underway at the Guthrie Junior High School with restoration of the 94-year-old school building.

With a chain link fence and large piles of dirt on the school grounds, workers have began to excavate the soil around the building to waterproof the classrooms along the front of the building that are partially below ground.

“This portion of the building has suffered many years of water damage,” Superintendent Dr. Mike Simpson said.

Simpson added, “The rest of the project includes tuck pointing restoration of the front portion of the building as well as new energy efficient windows.”

The first phase of the Junior High project is estimated at $750,000.

The renovations are among the biggest on the building since 1997.

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The upgrades are similar to the renovations that took place at Central Elementary in 2017. Related article: Successful school bond issue nearly complete with Phase I

In 2013, The Stacy Group, an architecture firm, determined the Junior High could be renovated to meet the educational specifications for the school district at a lower cost than building a new facility. View that study.

In May 2015, voters of the school district approved a $16.2 million bond issue, which is the largest dollar amount for the district, by the largest margin (77 percent) since 1977. Almost a third of eligible voters participated in the election. Related article: Super-majority says YES to $16.2 million bond for Guthrie schools

“We understand the trust that has been placed upon us by our district patrons,” Simpson said shortly after the passage of the bond election. “Consequently, we want to show it was well earned by open and frequent communication as these projects progress.”