Updates on the Tech Building

At the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, the Innovation building was opened to the students of Samo while the Technology building sat abandoned, cut off from the Science building by plywood and chain-link fencing. While it may seem like the Tech building sits neglected and forgotten by the school, in reality, the school has big plans for it.According to Dean of Students Catherine Baxter, the Tech and Science buildings will be replaced by another new and larger building.“The new building will host the M and O houses and will feature a new cafeteria and a new pool,” Baxter said. “Our goal is to begin the demolition of the Tech building in the summer of 2018 although we are very unsure if that will be possible. Before we demolish it, we would like to make sure that we have plans for the new building.”While the school is exchanging design plans with the Division of State Architects (a government agency that provides oversight for the construction of K-12 schools in the state), they are waiting for a seal of approval that will allow them to begin construction. Meanwhile, the seemingly-unused Tech building has become a key revenue source for the school district.“For example, some AP exams will be hosted in the Tech building this year to not displace classes,” Baxter said. “Also, it being rented to a church that used to rent other classrooms which began showing wear and tear. Now, we have unneeded classrooms to rent. Also we have storage room to keep chairs for the AP exams instead of having to purchase 150 new ones for $13,000 every year.”Along with that, the Tech building is practical for the filming of TV shows and movies.“We are currently negotiating with a company who want to rent the building for six to ten weeks this summer to film a series,” Baxter said.The money earned through the Tech building is given back to the school through the purchases of a new shot clock for the basketball court, new floormats for the gym chairs, new chairs for teachers, new radios for the school employees, new benches for the swimming pool, and coming soon a new scoreboard for the football field.The Tech building will also be used to train SMPD in a school environment. Before its demolition, it will be lit on fire for SMFD firemen to practice.The Samo campus committee is open to name suggestions for the new bulding: an inspiring name, preferably not the name of a school subject, possibly incorporating the letters M and O but not starting with them, due to the existence of the music building.