CHS construction to be complete within the year

July 23, 2024 |

By Ryan Horton
Choctaw Times

The Choctaw High School campus upgrades are expected to be complete within the next year.

The Choctaw-Nicoma Park School District broke ground on the first round of bond projects in May 2023, and it didn’t take long for construction to be noticeable at Choctaw High School.

Students, faculty and CNP families worked through some growing pains this past year as the CHS campus underwent major upgrades.

Officials say there will be one more year of dealing with construction projects at CHS, and then the new campus will be ready for the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

CNP Superintendent David Reid says he expects to see construction wrapping up a year from now.

“Completion date is looking at April or May. Hopefully right at the end of the year so we can start demolishing the old CHS building as soon as school is out. That way it’ll be a parking lot by the time school starts for the 2025-26 year,” explained Reid.

The new CHS two-story building will total 98,000 square feet, and replace the old single-story main CHS structure.

The new structure will feature the latest saferoom technology, and be ADA compliant, including an elevator.

A lower floor will include offices, an E-Sports room, and 20 classrooms. The second floor will feature 28 classrooms.

“Once the new building is open, Choctaw will launch a new E-Sports program, which is becoming popular and providing scholarships now,” said Reid.

The new main hive of the CHS campus isn’t the only upgrade happening at the campus as some other projects are underway and many are already complete.

“They’re starting the band building which is a big indoor practice building. We also have a new band storage building down by the football field. The old vo-ag building in the center of the east parking lot is going to be turned into the ROTC building. They’re about to start renovating it,” said Reid. “So, all the projects at the high school should be done about the same time, which is a year out. That’s the little theatre, AFJROTC/tennis room, band addition, and of course the main high school building.”

Softball and baseball field upgrades were completed before the spring season. Accompanying locker rooms are being completed now.
Work on the Jim McCharen Activities Center was recently completed.

The concession area was expanded and restroom upgrades were made adding male and female restrooms to each side of the lobby.

Work is beginning now on an indoor practice facility south of the McCharen Center.

An aerial view shows the cleared pad where Choctaw’s old tennis courts sat for decades. The site will be an indoor practice facility that is located south of the Jim McCharen Center. (PHOTO PROVIDED)

“The indoor facility is going in behind the Jim McCharen Center, which just finished,” said Reid. “It will sit where the old tennis courts were located and go down the hill toward the football field.”
Reid says upgrades at CHS will be unlike anything ever seen in eastern Oklahoma County, and rival any facilities in the state.

“The new concession stand on the home side is going to be built. We’re not doing anything with the old concession stand until football season is over,” said Reid. “Once it’s over that entire old concession stand will become restrooms. The new concession stand will be behind the old one, and the old concession kitchen will turn into additional stalls for the women’s restroom.”

Reid says other improvements around the district will also be complete within the year.

An areial view of the new Bill Jensen Field with a fresh track, visitor press box, south side bleachers, band storage building, digital score board and more. (PHOTO PROVIDED)

Voters of the district showed overwhelming support for the new 20-year bond issue aimed at district-wide improvements. Over 75 percent of voters supported the funding of district-wide school improvements back in 2022.

The bond provided for significant improvements to all CNP school sites, and includes the construction of two new elementary schools.

Projects will be done in phases as funding becomes available through the next two decades.

Work is expected to begin on one new elementary school this year, and officials say that should be a two-year build after work begins. The other new elementary will likely be built closer to 2040.

Indian Meridian Elementary and James Griffith Intermediate schools have been connected to form one new elementary school, Griffith Meridian Elementary.

“The connection piece, saferooms and office at GME is underway, connecting the two old school sites. The hope is it will be complete by the end of this next school year as well,” said Reid.

“Choctaw Elementary has a new cafeteria, saferoom, and hallway. They just started demolition on the old cafeteria and kitchen. They’ll replace it with a new saferoom for the whole school and make a better connection to the special education section of the school.”