As Providence Academy students drive into school this year, they will look to the west and see a fenced off parking lot and bulldozers digging up the ground. In July, PA took its first step in the long awaited construction project. The financial gifts from PA families and the Make Your Mark – Build The Pride capital campaign made the construction possible.
The expansion is due to be ready by the end of the 2012-2014 school year, and will connect the current building to the future performing arts center.
The expansion will house a conference room, a gathering space for Middle Schoolers, office space for middle school and development staff, and a TV studio for the production of PA communications, student classes, and Providence eLearning products.
The construction has caused the west parking lot, mainly used by upper schoolers and parents, to shrink considerably in size and is likely to cause problems for those planning to park there. In addition, seniors will find it difficult to find a spot in the senior parking lot because the only access to the lot will be via the east driveway by the softball field.
As the class of 2014 is the largest graduating class in PA history, seniors will struggle to park in the north lot because spots will be more limited than they ever have been before.
Brenna Smith ’14 and Heather Leuer ’14 say they believe both the size of PA’s senior class and the construction will cause problems. They say they wish temporary parking would be available to better fit the needs of the seniors and the teachers that will be parking in the senior parking lot this school year.
Until then, though, they plan to arrive earlier at school to find a place for their cars.
“My plan is to get there early, grab some popcorn, and watch people fight,” Leuer said.