OMHS adding space for fine arts

As the band and choir groups at Oak Mountain High School have grown over the years, so has their need for more space. Those involved in these programs in the years to come will have a new $8 million dollar addition, set to be completed by the end of fall 2023.

After months of planning, school board members and Oak Mountain administration broke ground on the project May 4.

The project was approved by the Shelby County Board of Education in October 2021 as part of a capital projects campaign to address the need for more instructional spaces in county schools, where student growth has already exceeded the buildings’ capacity to accommodate them.

Approximately one-third of Oak Mountain High’s entire student population currently participates in the fine arts program, and those participation numbers continue to grow.

David Calhoun, assistant superintendent of operations for Shelby County Schools, said that while the capital projects at most schools consisted of the construction of additional classrooms, a different need was presented at Oak Mountain High School.

“At OMHS, building more standard classrooms isn't the most pressing need at the present time,” Calhoun said. “The most pressing need is for additional instructional space to support the growing student participation numbers in the fine arts elective courses of band and choral music.”

Calhoun said the goal has been to create a larger band room and choral music classroom. Once construction is completed, the new band and choral music spaces will be about one-and-a-half times larger than the current space. The new space will also have additional storage for instruments, uniforms and musical theater sets.

Fine Arts Department Chair Travis Bender, who is also the associate band director, is looking forward to having more space for the band program.

“It's roughly 30% bigger than we have right now, and it's much needed. We’ve got about a third of the school currently involved in music, so 575 kids either take band or choir here,” Bender said.

Choral Director Michael Zauchin said his students will benefit from the addition as well.

“The show choir program has grown by leaps and bounds,” Zauchin said. “When I got here in 2013, there were less than 100 kids in the choir, and now we are consistently around or over 200 in the department. We have progressed in the technical aspect of our shows and the overall production value has skyrocketed, especially since 2019.”

Zauchin added that the new music building will allow for continued growth as a department.

“Every single year we seem to be attracting more and more students, and I think that goes hand-in-hand with the production value that we have been putting on, real concert-like shows,” he said. “If they can be a part of making something like that, then they want to be a part.”

This will be the first expansion for OMHS since 2005. Lathan Associates Architects has designed this project, and Blalock Building Company is the general contractor.

The expected timeline for this project to be completed is approximately 18 months, barring any unforeseen supply-chain issues that could potentially delay the arrival of building materials, Calhoun said.

While the building itself has not yet been named, it is confirmed that the rooms will be named after influential people in each of the programs. The new band room will be named as a tribute to Oak Mountain’s first band director, Jim Duren, who passed away in November 2020.

In the second construction phase, the current music wing will be converted into additional sports facilities.