Construction on a new multifunctional facility at Maplesville High School is expected to be complete by the start of the 2013–2014 school year in August.

All but the interior of the school’s new P.E. and band building should be finished in the next couple of months, according to Wayne Howell, maintenance supervisor of Chilton County Schools.

The Chilton County Board of Education approved an architect’s plans for the project, opened bids and approved the builder, a company called Complete Construction, last summer to lay the groundwork and construct the exterior shell of the building.

As soon as the exterior is finished and the state conducts a final building inspection, Howell said he and his crew can complete the interior – including wall framing, electrical wiring, bathrooms, a partition and air conditioning and heating – by the time students return to school on Aug. 19.

“It won’t take too long for the inside,” Howell said. “We’ll have it ready for school next year.”

The bid for the exterior of the building was $130,000. Howell estimates the entire project with interior costs will total about $175,000.

No grants were awarded for the project, which is being funded by local public school funds.

Architect Walter McKee of McKee and Associates in Montgomery drew the plans for the facility last year, and construction began in January.

MHS Principal Maggie Hicks said the 50-by-60-foot facility will be used for P.E. classes, band practice and other activities that require indoor space.

The MHS Red Devil Band will especially benefit from having a room besides the auditorium in which to practice and store equipment.

“It’s just not a good thing trying to practice on the stage with everyone coming through,” Howell said. “This will give them their own space.”

Howell said the reason for the interior partition dividing the facility is to allow multiple groups of students to use it at the same time without disrupting one another.

“It will give them a location that will be conducive to their learning,” Hicks said. “We’re excited about starting the next phase of it.”