On Monday, June 3, the new Lincoln gym officially opened for business.
The pre-school and younger students will no longer meet in trailers. The 100×100 all-purpose building will be accessible to various school activities.
Yes, it is a new day in Lincoln and it's time to make glorious, wonderful, memories.
To honor this occasion, we were able to interview Lincoln R-II superintendent Kevin Smith on his perspective of the new gym and what it means to the entire Lincoln community.
Below is our conversation.
JL: How did the completion of the building pan out as scheduled?
Smith: We are very pleased with the way our project has turned out. The students and community are very excited to begin the 2024-2025 school year with the additional classroom and gym space.
JL: How much did the new building cost?
Smith: The project currently remains on budget with an expected cost of $7.5 million
JL: How many new classrooms will you have?
Smith: We have a Pre-K Classroom that is already in use as of May 1. A new K-12 Art Room, a new Computer Lab and a new Weight Room.
JL: How many people will the building seat?
Smith: The gym will seat approximately 820 guests with most seats having back rests.
JL: When will the building be in total use?
Smith: The majority of the floors still need to have a finish coat of wax before the school year begins but other than that the interior of the facility is done. The gym will be used for the first time on Monday, June 3rd.
JL: Overall, are you pleased with how everything worked out upon completion?
Smith: It has been a very large undertaking. I couldn't be happier with the way it has turned out. The BOE and myself had a great working relationship with Septagon, which made our project go very smooth.
Personally, I am very proud to be a part of a project that will be providing additional opportunities and experiences for our students and community for many years to come.
JL: Are there any planned tours of the building for the public?
Smith: We are giving tours on a daily basis but would love to see some massive crowds during our fall volleyball season. So please come support our teams.
This couldn't have happened without the support from our community. We all have something to be very proud of.
JL: Thanks, Kevin, the community appreciates your commitment to excellence.
