Progress to Date

August 2008

The new high school was completed in the Summer of 2008, and dedcated on August 18 -- the first day of school.



An astrolabe clock honoring donors to the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation adorns the lobby.

Designed by teacher Clint Lafollette and students Liam Holland and Ethan McGroom, the astrolabe, an ancient device relating to the planets and time, freezes the time and date of the high school dedication - 3 p.m. Aug. 18, 2008.

Behind the clock are names of more than 150 donors, giving in excess of $5,000 each to the project.











August 2007 New Learning Center, 3rd Floor

In the spring, students began occupying the third floor of the three-story ORHS Learning Center, consisting of science labs, media center, math and social studies classrooms. The two historic round buildings were demolished during spring break.











Wildcat Arena, August 2007

The new Wildcat Arena gymnasium was completed before the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year.

During the summer, the Learning Center’s first and second floors were completed, the old gym refurbished, the new Food Court was constructed, and A Building classrooms were enlarged and completely renovated.








updated 8/13/2007

December 2006John Smith (OR School Board Chair), Thom Mason (ORPSEF Chair) and David Bradshaw (OR Mayor) stand in front of the steel girders of the new Oak Ridge High School gymnasium.
The ORHS construction project continues along on schedule and within budget. The new three story Learning Center, consisting of science labs, media center, math and social studies classrooms and special student and teacher work areas is progressing well. The top floor of that Center will be available for occupancy during Spring Break of 2007, when the two historic Round Buildings on campus are demolished, and those students moved into the new building. The roof girders of the new Wildcat Arena gymnasium are being installed now, so that the size and look of that facility is now easily discernable. The Arena will be available for use before the end of this school year, and will serve as the rain backup location for graduation, in fact! The summer construction season will be extremely busy, with completion of the first and second floors of the Learning Center, refurbishment of the old Gymnasium building, renovation of major portions of the existing A Building classrooms, and construction of the new Food Court. The impacts of Donor's dollars are readily evident at the ORHS campus now! Come by and see.

The focus of construction right now is on three basic portions of the job. First, preparations are being made for startup of the geothermal heating system, which must be ready for operation at the time of demolition of the failing portion of "Old A". Messer is getting the new HVAC connections ready, temporary boiler installed, and the piping/pumps installed with the geothermal well network. Second, that portion of "Old A" that is to be torn down (over Spring Break) is being prepared for that demolition. That includes closing off the separation wall in classrooms and hallways before demolition, conducting hazardous material abatement (removal), and installation of a new exit stairway. Once those preparations are done and the HVAC system readied for changeover, the knock-down of "Old A" can be done and classes continue as normal. Third, site grading and drilling is underway at the area of the new Learning Center, in preparation for foundations to be installed. That work will move to the New Gym area once "Old A" portion is gone, and also to the New Cafeteria area next to the Auditiorium. This grading and drilling work will continue for several months.

This list of 9 items is the major contracted services completed to date.

Some of the things that have occurred and are occurring now and in the near future are:

Thank you to everyone that made this happen.

Mid December 2005 - The Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation has made its first contribution to the City to support the rebuilding and renovation of Oak Ridge High School. The $337,041 contribution will begin to repayORPSEF donates 337,041.61 to Oak Ridge City for ORHS renovation the estimated $8 million that the high school project is receiving from Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, a federal program of taxable bonds issued by the Tennessee School Bond Authority. The Foundation has raised $7,666,651.00, nearing its goal of $8 million.