Last year Horizon and Bismarck Public Schools set out to start a new journey- renovating and adding on to the middle schools. Horizon is adding on a new gym (just for P.E.) and locker room, music room, new team rooms, and extra storage. We got chance to sit down with Mr. Vanderpan, the vice principal of Horizon Middle School, and ask him how he thought things were going so far.

Vanderpan stated that the only setback was the cold weather. You all have probably heard from either your teachers, friends, or from the experience of not being able to work in your usual classroom, that there was a water leak throughout primarily the art rooms and west team areas. “Over the break, some construction workers or electricians, put a hole in the wall because they have to get at things either electrical or pipes.” He went on to further explain that the hole wasn't plugged up or had been rebuilt so the cold air got to it. Inside the hole, was the fire sprinklers and it burst the pipe by freezing. “And of course the fire alarm goes off and the department gets out here, and that's how they found it, otherwise the whole bottom floor of the school would have been flooded.” Vanderpan also stated that Arrow Service Team did a amazing job working through the night to get school ready for the next day. He also said that Arrow has been doing most of the clean-up and working hard to restore the classrooms back to normal state. As of now Vanderpan stated that nothing major was ruined. Lucky the flood wasn't the schools fault, so many contractors insurances will pay for the damage.

“It always seems like construction is going slower than expected but actually its right on schedule.” The construction is hopefully supposed to be done by the beginning of the next school year. So just tune out the banging and plug your nose of the gas a little longer, because soon Horizon will be bigger, better, and even cooler than before.

Written By: Chloe B, Delani C, and Mikella K, Andrew D