Renovations at William Byrd nearly complete

By Debbie Adams

The William Byrd High School Renovation and Expansion Project is nearly complete. Construction crews are adding the finishing touches in the science and art wings of the building with a plan for all students to return to classrooms in the building after Spring Break.

The $30 million project was expected to be complete in August 2023, but the discovery of
asbestos in sections of the building delayed renovations. The expected completion date is now
March 20.

The project involved over 100,000 square feet of renovations and roughly 13,500 square feet of
additions. Renovations included science labs, the band room, weight room, media center,
guidance offices, library, the main gym, and front lobby. Additions included choir and art rooms,
a wrestling room, a new front entrance portico, and major renovations throughout the classrooms
and hallways.

The Family and Consumer Sciences Department now has a large kitchen within the classroom.
The main office has a connecting hallway to the guidance suite. There are tons of added storage.
The auditorium has a new sound system, new curtains, and new lighting. There are no more
cords dangling from the ceiling or running across the floor to accommodate computers and
technology. Electrical receptacles are abundant.

Hallways are lined with display cases for student work. The front portico is covered to make a
special place for seniors, along with their front lobby. Desks have been replaced in the art and
science rooms by tables, which allows students to stand or sit on stools to work.

Many of the new furnishings are on wheels to eliminate heavy lifting when floors need to be
cleaned and waxed.

A recent tour with Assistant Principal Travis Anderson and Vinton School Board representative
Tim Greenway brought to mind the words bright, clean, spacious, aesthetically pleasing, and
state-of-the-art.

Greenway says the renovations more than met his expectations for the project— “they are
amazing.”

He credited Anderson for his leadership in overseeing the project “going over and above what
was” required. Greenway also commended Principal Tammy Newcomb for her enthusiasm for
the project from the beginning, her meticulous attention to detail, and her approach to design–
actually asking for input from all those who would be using the building.

For instance, Choir Director Matt Bartley was encouraged to offer his suggestions for the new
Choir Room, previously non-existent at WBHS.

“When the current William Byrd High School was built, it included a music room designed to be
used as a shared space by the band and choir,” Bartley explained. “Construction of the middle
school on the same campus included two different rehearsal areas for the band and the choir, so
WBHS choir students would cross the parking lot and use the middle school choir room as the
primary high school rehearsal space.

“During the tenure of the WBHS choir rehearsing at WBMS, an earlier renovation of the high
school music room provided acoustical treating that would help assist with the needs of band
rehearsal. Such changes included adding carpet, installing sound-absorbing panels along the
walls, and adding special ceiling tiles designed to diminish sound. Those resulting changes to the
room resulted in a very ineffective rehearsal space for a choir where singers have extreme
difficulty hearing other singers across the room. Growth of both the band and choir programs
prompted a need for a new WBHS choir room as soon as possible,” he said.

Bartley said that in the fall of 2019 when WBHS became the next on the list for renovations, “the
county conducted a renovation study which included a new choir room. Few choir directors get
the opportunity to move into a brand-new room, so I wanted to be sure I took advantage of this
opportunity to the fullest and make sure ‘the people who make the decisions’ were aware I
wanted to provide as much research-based input as possible.

“I immediately began to determine appropriate requests and dimensions for a choir room. I
looked through several images of choir rooms online and utilized a very helpful facilities
planning guide published by a prominent music equipment supply company.

“My first draft of ideas included three floor plans: the first was based off the original renovation
study drawing which was, to be candid, quite small. The second drawing was the ‘reach for the
stars’ plan that included a perfect choir suite that many colleges would be jealous of. I included a
third, more realistic drawing that displayed an acceptable set-up that accounted for the
essentials.”

He shared that 14-page packet with Newcomb and the architects.

“When planning a choir room there is a lot to consider,” Bartley says. “Most people look at
square footage when buying a house, but since a performing ensemble relies on how sound
works in the room (acoustics), cubic footage (length x width x ceiling height) is a more vital
figure. The choir program has demonstrated consistent growth in my tenure at the school so we
also must plan for the future of the program while considering the present needs.”

Bartley asked for sufficient storage options that would allow the WBHS materials (then stored at
WBMS) to have an immediate home in the new space. The WBMS choir room housed the only
grand piano on campus, so building a new room for the choir at the high school necessitate
moving the best instrument the WB choir owned to the rehearsal room where the best music was taking place– and accommodate for the piano to be moved to the stage for performances in the
most effective way possible.

“The architects responded to the renovation study and provided a first draft schematic, Bartley
said. “The architects had already reviewed my requests (the 14-page packet) and we were able to
discuss ways to include many of those requests within their vision. Cubic footage and
appropriate storage were the cornerstones of this conversation. A few weeks later we were given
the second draft schematic drawings, and I was pleased to see nearly everything needed to have
an effective choir room was included in the draft. My ensuing requests from the second
schematic went from the fourteen-page packet to three small bullet points.”

Bartley was enthusiastic about the plans from the architects which included ample storage space;
the primary rehearsal space with built-in cabinetry to house choir uniforms as well as a host of
other rehearsal materials; a choir director’s office for storing sensitive documents and
information in a more secure location; a music library room for storage of over 1,000 different
octavos, as well as a practice room for individual and small group rehearsals.

The choir room plans included a direct stage access door– not only handy for the choir but useful
as a staging area when the auditorium is being used for drama productions. Many choir rooms
have concrete-poured risers. The new WBHS choir room has a flat floor allowing for a host of
different rehearsal seating arrangements as well as an opportunity for the newly rebranded Vocal
Ensemble to practice choreography as a show choir.

“The choir is continuing to grow and establish itself as an important way for students to express
themselves through music and performance. A room dedicated solely for the use of choir
rehearsal well help to reward and recognize the many singers (past and present) who have
represented William Byrd in our community, in our state, and beyond, as well as serve the
singers of the future as we continue to represent the county through vocal performance,” Bartley
said.

William Byrd administrators plan a grand opening when school starts in the fall but will be
hosting a series of soft openings sooner. For instance, the choir program will be holding a special
concert and open house on Feb. 29 for the community to see the new Choir Room and dedicate a
new grand piano.

Bartley says the choir program received the donation of a piano worth about $17,000. “All we
had to do was pay the moving cost. It belonged to a gentleman who was a college professor at
the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Harold “James” Marshall– a Baldwin Model F
with a serial number that dates it back to the early 1940s. The Baldwin “F” model is 7 feet long
and weighs 800 pounds. According to those in the know, the model F is one of the premier builds
by this brand and rivals Steinway in its overall quality.”

Bartley’s wife, Shannon, met Dr. Marshall’s niece, Nancylee Kershaw, through work and
discovered that the family was downsizing and looking for a home for her uncle’s “prized
possession.” Dr. Marshall and Kershaw will be honored at the Feb. 29 concert, which is free
to the public.

The learning cottages which have housed students during the renovations and expansion will be
removed over the summer.

AVIS Construction and Hughes and Associates Architects and Engineers are the design/build
team for the project.