CLINTON, Iowa — Clinton High School has been renovating for several years as part of a multi-stage, multi-million dollar rebuild.
Clinton school officials said work on the high school continues, but prices have risen drastically due to the global pandemic, which came in right as they began bidding for a company to work on the project.
Voters of the Clinton Community School District passed a bond for high school renovations with 73.7% support on March 2, 2020. Two weeks later, the pandemic began, and work plans stalled as the city initially held off to try and subside inflation. They eventually moved forward with the plans in May of 2021.
"It was originally 62, and then the bid came in $8.8 million over," Clinton Schools Superintendent Gary DeLacy said. "We've done a lot of things with value engineering, we've done a lot of things using one percent sales tax to make up that difference, we're doing a small capital campaign right now."
The first phase of the rebuild modernized classrooms and student services.
The district set up a capital campaign with hopes of generating the remaining funds for the new performing arts center, which is phase two of the rebuild.
Originally, the goal was set for $750,000. However, a $450,000 grant from the Clinton Community Development Association meant only $300,000 needed to be generated from the campaign.
"We now have the ability to drive a car on stage and have that be propped," DeLacy said.
Clinton school officials said certain parts of the high school are extremely outdated.
"We are currently working out of a very old building and so it will be just nice to get these students in a fresh space," Clinton High School Principal Theresa Shultz said. "To watch the kids adapt to all the changes, to watch our staff adapt to all the changes, and then that moment of relief when we get into the new space makes it all worth it".
Officials said phase three will involve demolishing and rebuilding the front end of the school, with a new area being established for students to eat and snack.
DeLacy said the entire project, including what's been done to phase one which is the most expensive, costs $66 Million, and work should be complete within two years.
You can find out more about how to donate to the school's fundraising drive here.
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