Wellman

A series of facility upgrades at Mid-Prairie High School is moving forward, with several improvements aimed at increasing accessibility, flexibility, and overall functionality for students and the community.

Superintendent Brian Stone shared details of the project with The News, highlighting a mix of interior and exterior updates designed to modernize athletic and activity spaces while addressing long-standing needs.

Exterior improvements include newly poured concrete walkways and pads, which will make the grandstands and surrounding facilities fully ADA accessible. New restrooms are also being added, featuring wall-mounted fixtures and designs intended to make cleaning and maintenance easier.

Concession areas are also being redesigned, with improved layouts that include service doors and windows. Televisions will be installed inside the concession stands, allowing workers to follow games while operating the space. An outdoor grill area with electrical access is planned, allowing food to be prepared outside and served directly indoors.

Stone said the response to the new spaces has already been enthusiastic.

“When I brought some people down here from the FAC and they walked in, it felt like Christmas morning,” he said.

Interior plans include a new multi-use activity facility that will also serve as a weight room. The large activity space is designed to accommodate wrestling practice, with room for up to 54 wrestlers at one time, while remaining adaptable for other uses such as dance or additional team practices.

“It’s designed as an activity space because we don’t know all the ways it may be used in the future,” Stone said. “Wrestling will certainly take place there, but the space will remain flexible."

Additional interior upgrades include new flooring and updated lighting. One area will feature black-and-gold flake flooring, while the lighting system will allow fixtures to switch to blue overnight and include a UV component designed to help reduce bacteria.

“The lights are normally white, but they can be set on a timer to switch to blue overnight,” Stone said. “The system also includes a UV component designed to help reduce bacteria.”

The facility will also include coaches’ offices with showers and restrooms, locker and changing areas with benches, and wall-mounted storage to keep floors clear for easier cleaning. Plans also call for a washer and dryer, a wash bay, and potentially an ice machine.

A new weight room and fitness area will feature all-new equipment and large windows, allowing users to look out onto outdoor athletic events, including football games.

“Everything will be wall-mounted, with nothing on the floor,” Stone said.

Stone also noted the addition of restrooms near the football field, which addresses a long-standing issue for spectators.

“Someone told me they remind their kids to use the restroom before coming to games because there weren’t any facilities,” he said. “That really surprised me, especially since I’d been on the job less than 40 days.”

During football games, the district plans to utilize the outdoor grill area along with a yellow canopy that wraps around the building and includes signage identifying it as the Mid-Prairie Activities Building.

Beyond the high school, the district has recently completed a new playground at West Elementary and is planning additional projects across the district. Those plans include two new parking lots and two new classrooms on the north end of West Elementary. A new high school auditorium is also planned, though a construction timeline has not yet been finalized.

Stone described more about the bond and cost.

The proposed 2026 general obligation bond totals $18.6 million. Cost estimates include approximately $1 million for general education classrooms, $1 million for new special education space, $4.4 million for fine arts classrooms, $3 million for activities commons with restrooms and concessions, and $8.6 million for a new auditorium. There is an additional $600,000, which will be allocated for bond issuance and legal fees.

Overall, the projects are expected to span approximately two years, with continued work at West Elementary as part of the district’s long-term facilities plan. OPN Architects is serving as the architectural firm for the project.