The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning for the new additions to the Southside Junior and Senior High campuses.
Southside Schools superintendent Dion Stevens told the crowd the 146,000-square foot project is the culmination of five years of work initiated by the vision of former superintendent Roger Rich and other school officials. Rich retired in 2021.
The millage funding the project was passed in November of 2021, with 67% percent of eligible voters approving the plan.
“I tried to get Mr. Rich to hand this off to me at the one-yard line, but it feels like it was mid-field,” Stevens, who succeeded Rich, joked to the crowd at the groundbreaking, noting historic inflation was one of a few obstacles that delayed the project.
The superintendent credited the project’s architect, consultant, and construction teams, along with state officials and past and present state legislators, for moving forward on construction.
“The real winners will be our students, our parents, and our community,” said Stevens, noting it was his understanding a school millage has never failed in the Southside district’s 75-year history.
The 146,000-square-foot addition will contain modern, state-of-the-art classrooms, science and technology labs, multipurpose spaces for extracurricular activities and community events, a fine arts suite, upgraded athletic facilities, and a new cafeteria and dining bistro.
