OLD IS NEW AGAIN

Phillips Middle School gets facelift

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

Passing through the Battleboro community, and looking over at Phillips Middle School, you wouldn’t guess how different the front building is on the inside from the almost identical look it has on the outside.

Well, Principal William Etheridge is one person that can tell you quite a change has been made, and the central office staff, Superintendent Craig Witherspoon, Board of Education chairwoman Evelyn Wilson and others who strolled through the building on Friday morning can do the same.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to commemorate the completion of the renovations to the main building to give the school new administrative space, a multipurpose room, a guidance office, bathrooms, and a library.

The work began in August and wrapped up in March, which has given the staff a chance to get settled in before the school year ends. It has also given students a chance to utilize the building although none of it is being used for classrooms.

Etheridge said that the science fair, and quiz bowl are two events that’s been held in the building thus far.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed our multipurpose room,” he said.

The project was made possible by $9.3 million that was issued to Edgecombe from a school bond referendum that funded construction projects at five schools; SouthWest Edgecombe High School, G.W. Bulluck, G.W. Carver, and Coker-Wimberly elementary schools, and Phillips Middle being the last.

The project at Phillips totaled $1.425million, which is about $200,000 less than the projected amount for completion.

Even in extremely tight times, we found a way to complete this project,” Wilson said.

A.R. Chesson Contractors of Williamston and Smith-Sinnett Architects of Raleigh handled the renovations.

“They did a lot of innovative things to make this project come under budget,” Witherspoon said.

One of the ways the price was cut was opting to not tear the building down, but instead using the same exterior structure, and just redoing the interior. Etheridge said that was a good move because the building has historical significance.

“The outside of the structure looks basically the same, but the inside looks so different,” Etheridge said.

The extra money saved made it possible for the building to be totally revamped with the addition of new furniture.

While the contractors and architects were still at work, a tour was given in February to the county commissioners, county manager, and Board of Education to preview the changes that were being made.

Some of the same people got to see the progress since that time but it was totally new to most central office staff and parent Yvonne Hendricks of Battleboro.

“They made a big change. I like it … it looks a lot better,” Hendricks said.

Etheridge said the renovation will help with the recruitment of new teachers, and meeting the needs of the current teachers.

“Now our teachers have adequate work space. We didn’t have a good area for our teachers to meet and collaborate, and now we do,” he said.

Phillips High School alumni met for their class reunion on Friday at the school.

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