Indian Hills Middle School Undergoes Renovations

This year Indian Hills Middle School has started a renovation project that will last until fall of 2013. The new renovations will make the school larger and add newer features as well as new fields for East athletic teams to practice on.

“The building is really just in its original state since 1955,” Carla Allen, the principal of Indian Hills said. “We also have over 800 students now and just need more room.”

Additional features will be added later this year which include larger lockers, four new classrooms, a larger office space and another auxiliary gym complete with aerobic and weight equipment. The decision to conduct the renovations were made fall of last year by a committee consisting of Allen and other community members.

“They started with  Hocker Grove and Indian Hills first out of all five,” Allen said. “Because they were the ones that increased the most.”

The middle school also renovated the soccer and softball fields for East’s athletic teams to practice on. When the district sold Mission Valley and the adjoining soccer fields to RED development, East teams lost the ability to hold practices on the fields. This has caused some problems for a couple members of the girl’s soccer team. Caroline Dodd, a member of the varsity girl’s soccer team, will miss the fields at Mission Valley.

“I don’t like it because Mission Valley had a really great field,” Dodd said. “It was really large and had a lot of space.”

The East softball team will also be practicing at Indian Hills now which according to Dodd will make the space more crowded. The central location of Mission Valley an easy spot for players to practice at now the distance will also cause problems for some players as well as well as benefits for other players who live closer to the school.

“For me, I live in the South district, and Mission Valley was a lot closer,” Dodd explained. “But for some players that live closer it will be easier.”

The girls soccer team will start practicing on the new fields at the end of February. The upgrade to Indian Hills will be finished in the fall of the 2013 school year.