Behind The Scenes: Ridgeview High School

Welcome to Ridgeview High School — home of the Ravens and some of the nicest, state-of-the-art classrooms you’ve probably ever seen.

“It’s a 290,000-square-foot building,” Principal Lee Loving said during a sneak-preview tour this week. “So when you think of that in just sheer square footage, it’s a lot of planning. And as we walk through the high school, you’ll see little things and think, ‘Oh, that’s smart.'”

Smart might be an understatement. The new building has 54 general education classrooms, but it’s what’s in them that is downright impressive.

“We will have dentist chairs and curtains for hospital beds for some pre-nursing classes, so these students can really have hands-on learning,” Loving explained.

That’s just the beginning.

“The library is the center of the building,” he said, “because it should be the center of these students’ education.”

Pair that with jewelry-making stations, a student-only kitchen in the culinary arts rooms, and even personal recording booths for the music department.

“We have the technology in these rooms so if they want to record an audience clapping, they can do so, and then record their voice or instrument,” Loving said.

In the gym, a pair of full-sized courts that together can seat 2,000 spectators, and nearby, a wrestling room slated to be one of the best in the state.

The more than 600-seat auditorium has a full orchestra pit, trap doors on the stage and a backstage area fit for a movie star.

“The auditorium is one of the most overwhelming spaces we have,” Loving said. “But we also have a ‘black box’ theater, and it is just phenomenal — I mean, it’s just phenomenal.”

There’s also a media class, equipped with green room, HD cameras, editing software and a control room.

Think it’s too much?

Well if you’re going to do it, do it right — that’s what principal Loving says about the community’s new masterpiece.

Local voters agreed to a $110 million bond measure to pay for the school and other projects in 2008.

“I’ll tell you, we owe a lot to our taxpayers and our citizens supporting our kids — it’s really, really wonderful,” Loving added.

Ridgeview is holding two open house, public tours to all community members, parents and students.

They are Thursday, May 3rd and Tuesday, May 29th from 5:30-8:00 p.m.