Bryant High School is undergoing construction on campus and is expected to continue until October 2026. Construction began in March of 2025 as part of plans to update the campus. Baldwin & Shell is the company doing the construction, and have been working on the approximately 66,000 square feet new addition.
According to the Bryant Schools website, the new addition will include:
-State-of-the-art science classrooms and laboratories
-Special education and general education classrooms
-A large storm shelter capable of accommodating all occupants of the new building
This project is a continuation of a construction plan that was delayed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“3, 17 and 18 are the oldest buildings on campus. The thought is that [construction will] get rid of those exterior buildings to get more things under one roof so there’s less traffic [and] less congestion,” principal Jason Hay said.
A couple of classrooms have windows facing the construction site and the students enjoy being able to watch the construction.
“We get to watch all the guys working outside. Sometimes you see them doing some funny stuff out there,” Dr. Laura Dunavant, a science teacher in Building 3, said.
While Hay and the district are looking to Bryant’s future, to some alumni the demolition of the old buildings is sentimental and sad to witness.
“I had science in this building, my sister had science in this building, my brother had science in this building and I’ve had a lot of cousins who’ve come through who’ve also had science in this building,” Dr. Dunavant said. “So, to me, having this building taken down is kind of like the end of an era or generational change.”
While the construction brings many exciting new opportunities, the construction site being so close to campus while school is in session has had some significant negative effects on the students and faculty as well.
“When they started all this, they were jacking up and hammering all the sidewalk out there, [which] literally vibrated my whole room,” math teacher Cameron Sharpe said.
A small hole was drilled in the wall of Sharpe’s classroom while students were taking a test on Monday, Sept. 15.
“I was very scared that the wall was gonna collapse. We were taking a test, so it was extremely disrupting and not a lot of people finished,” junior Chase Knight said.
Students with classes in building 3 and 8 have had to manage going around the construction site until it’s finished, which has increased their travel time significantly.
“It is possible …If they would clear the hallways, stairwells and courtyard as quickly as they should, between classes, to help those students who have a further distance to walk, they will be able to get to their classes on time,” Dr. Dunavant said.
Another issue brought on by construction is traffic in the hallways. With over 2,700 students on campus and few stairways and halls to move around, passing periods are more crowded as students try to make their way to their next period.
This is not the first major construction project at the high school.
“When I came back to work here, it [was] all different,” Dunavant said. “Building 1 has always been a gym. Building 2, when I was here, was English mostly. Building 3 was science. Building 8’s always been history,” Dunavant said.
The inconveniences caused by construction can be frustrating, but are to be expected with the site being so close to the campus.
“It’s been disruptive, but, you know, when they’re adding on a whole new building, there’s not a whole lot you can really do about it, “ Sharpe said, “You just adapt, overcome and roll with the punches.”
For more information, visit the bryantschools.org website, at: https://www.bryantschools.org/page/bhs-facility-addition
