East Ridge reaching home stretch

• Finishing touches

After months of work and many hours of time spent by staff and workers, East Ridge High School will finally become a reality this fall.
• Coming this Fall

East Ridge High School is on schedule to open this fall in time for the first day of school.

Talk about it

Walking down the halls of the still unfinished East Ridge High School, it’s hard to imagine that in just a few short months the halls will be alive with students running to class, teachers offering an encouraging smile and the morning bells marking the first chapter in a new story.

“Everything is so detail-oriented that it’s hard to focus on the big things right now like the first day of school,” ERHS principal Aaron Harper said. “We’re just trying to make sure every ‘T’ is crossed and every ‘I’ is dotted.”

Although Harper said that as of July 21, the ERHS staff officially took up residency in the school and they are currently on schedule to wrap up construction the first week of August, Mike Vogel, District 833 assistant to the superintendent for operations, said that only 90 percent of construction will be completed by the fall and teachers can start setting up their rooms on Aug. 15.

“It’s getting to be crunch time,” Harper said. “There’s so many fine details to take care of, we’re just getting down to the nitty gritty.”

As far as construction is concerned, the only remaining facets range from the floors, to windows, to electrical work, to last-minute painting, along with other small details.

In addition to wrapping up construction, Harper said they are also working on a lot of logistical things associated with the school — policies, signage, and wrapping up the hiring season.

East Ridge has been two years in the making, and has encountered its fair share of controversy and opposition, but Harper said he’s confident that once the school takes its place in the community, things will work out.

“It’s starting to become more real, it’s starting to become more exciting,” he said.

Overshadowing others?

Some of the controversy surrounding ERHS is that some believe it will overshadow Woodbury High School and Park High School, and possibly take a lot away from them, but Harper said he doesn’t believe that to be the case.

“One perspective says that East Ridge may overshadow the other schools, but I think It’s not about taking away from other schools, but about providing opportunities for students,” he said.

District 833 superintendent Mark Porter mirrored Harper’s sentiments that the opening of ERHS will bring a wealth of opportunities for students, as well as hopefully be a uniting force in the community.

“I am looking forward to the opening more than anything,” he said. “It’s more than just an opening of a new high school building, but the opening of new opportunities for all of our students.

“I am very confident that East Ridge will very quickly be the unifying element of the district that we wanted.”

Harper said he hopes to integrate the three high schools together, whether it would be with a district-wide dance or other performances, or by just uniting the community the District 833 umbrella, rather than concentrating on what amenities and opportunities each school houses.

Until ERHS opens in the fall, Harper will continue to have to wear his many hats, but once the doors open, he will be able to wear the one hat that he is truly passionate about.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the school and doing what I love— teaching and high fiving students in the hall,” he said. “This whole experience has really been a time out and I can’t wait to get in the saddle.”

Kispert can be reached at akispert@woodburybulletin.com

Tags: high schools, east ridge high school, aaron harper, district 833, mark porter, education, construction, completion