The proposed weight room serves two primary purposes: student safety and improved facility use.
1. Storm Shelter & ADA Accessibility
The space is designed to function as a storm shelter capable of protecting approximately 550 students and staff, which represents the full 270 campus population. The district’s current shelter area is not ADA accessible and does not meet the same standards for safety and accessibility.
Storm shelters must be constructed to specific structural standards, which significantly influence construction costs. The size of the space is driven by shelter capacity needs—not by athletic programming alone.
2. Returning the Rock Gym to Elementary Use
Currently, the weight room occupies space within the Rock Gym. Relocating the weight room allows the Rock Gym to return to more flexible elementary uses, such as:
Physical education classes
Indoor recess
Assemblies and large group activities
Bus staging
This improves scheduling flexibility and better supports elementary students throughout the school day.
The cost of the project reflects the structural requirements of a storm shelter designed for the full campus population, along with the square footage needed to safely accommodate that number of occupants. The intent is not to build an oversized athletic facility, but rather a dual-purpose space that addresses both safety and functional needs.