Lincoln County Schools expanding classrooms, adds state-of-the-art sports lighting

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) – About 11,500 Lincoln County Schools students will head back to class on Wednesday, with families in the eastern part of the county likely noticing some construction.

The district said St. James Elementary, Catawba Springs Elementary and Rock Springs Elementary are all undergoing expansions of classrooms and common spaces.

Superintendent Dr. Aaron Allen said the additions will give each of the schools about 8-10 more classrooms, and comes as the district is seeing a lot of growth, especially on the eastern end near Lake Norman.

“You’ll start seeing ground being moved and dirt being shuffled and all that stuff,” Allen said. “It will be an inconvenience. You think about an active construction site in the middle of the school year on a campus with kids. There will be some inconveniences, but at the end of the year people will definitely appreciate the added space.”

The current expansion is Phase One of a two-year project.

Dr. Allen said the expansion is being paid for through a combination of county and lottery funds, so it is not coming out of the district’s budget.

Also being added around the county is some much-needed sports lighting upgrades.

The superintendent said that thanks to a $4.1 million grant from the state, the district has updated the lighting at all four high school football stadiums. Up next are tennis courts, softball, baseball and soccer fields.

Allen said the schools were deficient in lighting standards for the NC High School Athletic Association, which meant the district might not be able to qualify to host regional competitions. Now, they not only have upgraded lighting, but also added some bells and whistles to go with it.

“It’s more of what I call a fan experience lighting,” he said. “It’s not just your standard base lighting. We’re going to have music coordinated with lights and it’s going to bring people into an already hyped-up Friday night experience and Thursday night experience, and creates a little more community culture and community flare.”

Allen said the district was grateful the state grant made it possible to not just fix the issues, but do a complete overhaul without digging into the district’s budget.

It is estimated that all sports facilities will be updated by late winter or early spring.

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