HOWARD – Noting a new facility would help lift the community for decades, East Knox School Superintendent Steve Larcomb and other officials broke ground on the district's new $16.6 million school building on Thursday, Dec. 17.
The 11 a.m. ceremony launched the East Knox Junior/Senior High School, a two-story facility to house classrooms, a gym, science lab, music and art rooms, an agriculture lab and Bulldog Café. It will replace an existing building dating to 1939.
"This is certainly a defining moment in the life of our school district," Larcomb said during his opening remarks. "There were an incredible number of people who helped in many ways, including community members, area businesses, boosters, East Knox staff members, school board members in their individual capacities, parents, grandparents, students at all levels including Kenyon student volunteers."
The Mount Vernon News reported in September the project's cost was estimated at $16.6 million. The Board of Education had capped the project at $19 million, as reported in May, with the difference going for temporary modular classrooms and other overhead.
"We are very grateful to our voters for their ongoing support," Larcomb said. "We are incredibly blessed for this opportunity to put the final crown jewel in place that will positively affect the East Knox community for generations to come."
Other speakers at the ceremony included Gary Schworm, Our Kids/Our Future Levy Committee chairman; Matthew Schwartz, School Board president; and Eric Bill, Elford Inc. COO (Elford was named construction manager at risk in February.)
The following K-12 students participated in the ceremonial turning of the dirt: K - Carter Hysong, first - Addison VanHoose, second - Brayden Davies, third - Addyson Delagrange, fourth - Rhyley Barner, fifth - Addison Smith, sixth - Malena Streby, seventh - Katelynn Johnson, eighth - Aidan Holobaugh, ninth - Jesse Wolford, 10th - Ernesto Sica Sica, 11th - Autumn Brust, 12th - Addison Crouch.
