In the 7 months since the first ceiling tile was removed and the first hallway closed, Danville High School has undergone a major transformation. Gone are the days where time stood still on hallway clocks and classroom climates varied from artic cold to blazing hot. It seems as though we have a new building for our old school, a building that is far more welcoming of students and teachers alike.

It is obvious that our school has received a long overdue facelift. New windows grace each classroom, fresh paint lines the walls and the occasional excitement generated by the exploding lights is no more. Everyone seems to appreciate the more comfortable environment and the cafeteria looks great (although the food is a different story).

Perhaps more tasteful are the statistics behind the renovation. A sign by the front entrance of the school boasts that all the new systems will yield an estimated annual savings of over $189,000. That in itself is impressive.

However, it seems to me that the most amazing part of the renovation is not the aesthetics, but the incredible smoothness of the transition the building underwent and its effect on the students and teachers.

I know I was not alone this summer in hoping that the renovation would take much longer than expected, possibly delaying the start of school by weeks. When it was announced towards the end of the summer that everything would be completed on schedule, I could not believe that the massive project had been completed in just one summer.

The transition to a new administration was extremely smooth as well. Students and teachers have had little trouble coping with the new leadership, which I might add appears to be doing a great job keeping the school straight and organized.

Students and teachers both have had an incredibly positive reaction to the renovations as well. Of the few complaints I have heard regarding the renovations, most seem to involve the security cameras. Students often complain that the cameras are a sort of invasion of privacy, although a high school hallway with 400 other students in it hardly seems private to me.

No matter how you look at it, this past summer’s renovation was $5.6 million well spent. Although we all enjoy the better environment provided to us by the project every single day we walk the halls at DHS, it is quite easy to forget all the people who came together to make this transformation a reality. So, to all of those involved in the renovation of our school, thanks a million and congratulations on a job well done.