By Susan Redden

sredden@joplinglobe.com

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Principal Kandy Frazier said it doesn’t seem to matter how many trips she makes to the new Carthage High School.

“Every time I walk into the building, it takes my breath away,” said Frazier, who, along with students, will be moving in January to the new building at River Street and Airport Drive.

Mark Baker, the district’s assistant superintendent for business, said teachers, student groups and members of the community are among those that have gotten an early look at the building, as workers push to wrap up the $32 million project.

The work is on schedule, according to Baker and Jeff Wilson, superintendent with general contractor Crossland Construction Co.

Wet weather slowed progress early on. Baker said crews “have done a good job catching up.”

The contractor has added more crews and more supervisors to complete the project, Wilson said.

“We’ve pretty much doubled the staff; there will be 200 people at work here any given day,” he said.

Visitors taken through the new building most often react to the new competition gymnasium, the commons area and the media center, said Baker, while conducting a tour on Thursday.

Frazier said students who have seen the new building are really excited about all the extra space.

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere for them. We’re so crowded now, we’re having to bus kids between the high school, tech center and junior high,” she said.

The gymnasium will have seating for 2,100 spectators. There will be four computer labs in the 9,000-square-foot media center that features a glass wall overlooking the commons area, which also will function as the school’s lunchroom for students who, for years, have left the campus of the century-old high school over the lunch period.

The small cafeteria in the current high school serves no more than 150 students per day, Baker said, while the closed campus at the new building means 1,300 students will be eating in over the noon hour.

“We’ve hired more kitchen staff, and also more building maintenance staff with so much more space,” Baker said.