New Beacon High wows guests

State-of the art facility to be used in fall

By Maeleeke J. Lavan
Poughkeepsie Journal

 

Darryl Bautista/Poughkeepsie Journal The new Beacon High School opened for public tours Saturday.

Darryl Bautista/Poughkeepsie Journal Beacon High School senior Katy Ash, right, leads a tour through the new Beacon High School, Saturday. Ash won't be able to take advantage of the new facility as she is graduating this month.

BEACON -- Crystal blue skies greeted nearly 1,000 guests at the grand opening of the new Beacon High School Saturday.

After about three years and a delayed opening, the finishing touches are being put on the $32.5 million school set to accept students in the fall.

Local residents, students, faculty and other officials got the chance for a first look at the new school and its abundance of state-of-the-art facilities.

The opening ceremonies began in the theater, which seats about 1,000.

It's quite a difference from the theater in the current high school, district parent Pam Wetherbee said.

''In the old theater I felt like I was sitting on the stage,'' said Wetherbee, who toured the building with her daughter Jaclyn and her friend Tiffany Brown. ''I'm excited. We've been waiting for this.''

Capacity increased

The new school boasts room for 1,600 students, more than three times the 500 students the old school was built for.

Attendance at the high school for the 2001-02 school year is more than 950 students.

Jaclyn Wetherbee and Brown, eighth-graders at Rombout Middle School, said they were nervous and excited about the experience of starting their high school careers in a new building.

''I'm going to be nervous,'' 13-year-old Jaclyn Wetherbee said. ''It's going to be like the first day of middle school, but 10 times worse.''

The school features an array of educational advances for students, including a television and music recording studio, a six-lane swimming pool, a complete fitness center, computer access in numerous classrooms and an art gallery. Some of the facilities will be open to the community.

Students, faculty and parents agreed changes to technology available and classroom instruction will greatly enhance student learning.

''I believe, in America, the children of today are our future,'' district Superintendent Vito DiCesare said as he addressed the audience during opening ceremonies. ''Assembled here today are people who have the best aspirations and hopes for our students.''

Brown, 13, is anticipating and dreading the amount of space in the massive 203,000-square-foot building.

''I'm worried I might go to the wrong class,'' she said. However, she added, ''I'm looking forward to the computers and new technology.''

Jaclyn Wetherbee pointed out that amenities like the television studio will create a lot of interest for students looking into college majors and careers.

''The completion of this structure is a milestone for this district; but it's only the beginning,'' said Deborah Sheers, president of the Beacon board of education. ''This is our moment. It's the best opportunity in years to provide for our students and our community.''