BCHS Locker Room Off Limits Until Further Notice

Warm Springs, VA – The locker room at Bath County High School is off limits until further notice. At Tuesday night’s Bath School Board meeting, the board announced that the locker room was inspected by several school board members and found to be in such an unacceptable condition, that it would therefore be off limits. The locker room needs renovation and it was recently vandalized.

The topic of the locker room also came up during public comment when Bath County Supervisor Jon Trees spoke about the condition of the locker room. He called it an embarrassment as well as unhealthy and unsafe. In addition to extensive renovation that is needed, the locker room suffered more damage, including having a sink torn off the wall, when it was vandalized a few weeks ago.

Trees said the renovation work has been put on the back burner and that it’s gone on long enough and that he would like to see it repaired. He said work on the locker room should be addressed before anything else. Locker room renovation is listed on the Capital Improvement Plan at a cost of around $548,000. That estimate includes replacing the plumbing, the lighting, the ceiling, the ventilation system, adding new partitions, a handicapped access and fire protection.

Trees asked the board to find out what it would cost to repair just the ceiling, plumbing and lights and include that amount as part of the budget. Trees said it shouldn’t cost half a million dollars to repair those items. He asked for the board to consider his request and get those figures as soon as possible.

He also suggested putting a log in the locker room where school staff would sign in and out when the room is used, indicating that it has been inspected. Trees said that he was not speaking on behalf of the County Board of Supervisors, but that he was expressing his concerns.

School Board Chairman Eddie Ryder agreed that the locker room renovation is a top priority. He said that they may be able to get the cost down, but he wants to be sure the work is done right. He would also like to see the locker room completed before football season.

Also on Tuesday night, the Board appointed Kevin Williams and Kenny Baugh as substitute bus drivers. Ed Walters was appointed as volunteer girls soccer coach. And the board accepted the resignation of Laura Cooper, effective at the end of the school year.