(Front, from left, are Andrea Bridges, Care Center; Mary Louise Stowe, school board member; Tanya Spears, PTO president; Jackie Hester, assistant principal; and Melissa Brown, former PTO president. Back, from left, are Commissioner Craig Hill,; Sen. Clay Scofield; Vince Edmonds, principal; and Rep. Ritchie Whorton.)

The decades-old wooden theater seats in the auditorium at New Hope Elementary were dilapidated, with splitting wood on some seats. As students gathered for an assembly four years ago, a third-grader sat down and the seat broke.

The student’s leg was injured, and the experience was also embarrassing, New Hope Elementary principal Vince Edmonds says.

Edmonds and members of the Parent-Teacher Organization already had plans to raise money for a theater renovation, but it was important to move forward as soon as possible. “Not only was it unsightly, but it was also unsafe,” Edmonds says.

“Now we have a venue that will be something for our schools and our community to use and be proud of… To have a venue like this in our area is really a blessing.” – New Hope Elementary principal Vince Edmonds

The auditorium was renovated with help from the community, elected officials and other groups. “We stripped it down to the nails,” Edmonds says of the $120,000 effort.

The renovation included theater-style seating for about 530 people, as well as modern theater lighting and a sound system. The stage was also restored and the wood refinished to its original luster. 

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Various groups and organizations contributed to the project, including the Care Center, a nonprofit organization in southwestern Madison County. The organization works to enhance education and employment opportunities, and it offers crisis and recovery support. The PTO also organized several fundraising events.

New Hope Telephone Cooperative uses the auditorium for meetings and made a contribution, Edmonds says. Funds were directed to the project from city and county officials, as well as the local legislative delegation.

“We even sold the old seats,” Edmonds says. “It was nostalgic, and they sold better than I expected. We didn’t make a whole lot, but it was better than throwing them in the trash.”

COMMUNITY GATHERINGS

The auditorium is available for the elementary and middle schools, which is kindergarten through eighth grade. The high school is on the same campus and can use the theater for plays and other productions.

The auditorium is an ideal venue for the school’s show choir and drama club. “We didn’t really have a venue for either,” Edmonds says. “It’s going to benefit so many people.”

Schools in Owens Cross Roads can also use the auditorium if needed, Edmonds says.

Future uses were kept in mind when planning the remodel. For example, the auditorium is set up for a projector, so it’s possible to show movies during community events.

“Now we have a venue that will be something for our schools and our community to use and be proud of,” Edmonds says. “To have a venue like this in our area is really a blessing.”