Eureka High School’s new gym coming in to focus

EUREKA – Plans for Eureka High School’s new gym have been approved, and the district is moving forward.
The new gym will retain the name Jay Willard Gymnasium. Plans developed by a committee of educators, students, and community members include a full sized basketball court, two practice courts, and a weight room.
The committee worked to maintain the same amount of activity space as the old gym.
As for project funding the voter approved school bond Measure S allowed the district to pursue matching funds from the state. The district can also access up to $4 million in state seismic funds.
Superintendent Fred Van Vleck said the plan is designed for the students of today and the future.
“If you think back to when our current gym was built right around 1950, the number one sport in the area according to some local residents around here was rowing and rowing is still there, but it’s certainly not the most prevalent in high school right now,” Van Vleck said. “We have to consider what might be more prevalent sports as we move in to the future, and the best way that we believe that we can accommodate that is to build flexible use space within the new gym facility.”
Van Vleck said, if all goes according to plan, this year’s sophomores will start their senior year with a new gym.