Performance

It was only appropriate the McDonald County High School band provided the entertainment for a groundbreaking ceremony held Monday morning at McDonald County High School.

After all, the new facility that the groundbreaking ceremony was held for is going to be a performing arts center that will be the new home for the band's concerts.

The building is the third FEMA safe room being built on campuses of district schools. Safe rooms in Pineville and Southwest City are due to be completed in May. Both of those facilities are dual-purposed as gyms.

But at McDonald County High School, the new facility will be a performing arts center for the school's band, drama, debate, chorus and art programs, as well as for the community.

"The building will be accessible and available to all patrons, said Dr. Mark Stanton, superintendent. "It is a community building. It will be like all of our other facilities. Those wanting to use it, just have to go through our building use policy."

In addition to special performances, Principal Greg Leach said band, show choir and drama will share the new facility for classrooms during the regular school day.

In addition to the band, students and staff from MCHS, school board members, were among those attending the groundbreaking ceremony.

"This is a very, very proud day," Stanton said. "Number one, this is a shelter for students here in Anderson, but also for our community in case of a tornado. We are very excited about this new facility -- excited we have the opportunity to do something like this. It will also give our performing arts students a quality place to perform in that will have fantastic sound."

The facility will have a total of 17,027 square feet, including 11,576 in the theater that will house about 625 seats.

The total cost is estimated to be about $5.5 million. A FEMA grant covers $2.4 million and another $1.8 million comes from a bond voters approved in April 2012. The balance of about $1.3 million will come from district reserve funds.

Stanton said future plans call for the addition of classrooms to the facility in order to move all performing arts classes out of the high school.

Construction of a new student parking lot has begun in order to begin work on the safe room, which is expected to take 9 to 12 months.