(Milan, IN) – A new multi-use, state-of-the-art weight room at Milan High School will open for classroom and after school use in January 2024.
In addition to the weight room, the latest school renovation project includes remodeling a 1,200-square-foot area that includes the addition of two restrooms, a laundry/storage room, and a changing room. This area is connected to the gym, weightroom and the school by new hallways.
An additional 3,300 square foot weight room has been added and is adjacent to the gym lobby on the south side. It features a bank of large windows facing south and west.
The weight room area, which came in under budget at $2 million dollars, is the final phase of the Milan Community Schools renovation projects. Tower Pinkster served as the architectural designer and The Poole Group from Dillsboro was the general contractor.
“Milan is pleased to offer students this outstanding area to work out and learn lifelong healthy habits,” said Milan High School Principal Ryan Langferman.
The weight room will be used daily for strength and conditioning classes led by physical education teacher Kyle Sabol. It consists of a rubberized floor, with six power weight stations, a free weight area with built-in platforms highlighted with the “M” logo, and two aerobic exercise stations that will be used for rehab or injured athletes.
A unique feature added to the weight room is a 110-foot turf inlay that will allow an area for footwork development and plyometric workouts. The changing room will be used by PE classes daily and visiting teams during sports seasons.
According to the National Federation of High School Sports, strength training has many benefits for students including injury prevention and improved performance. Strength training benefits athletes both in-season and out-of-season. A quality program also allows all students to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle after high school.
The improvements at Milan Community Schools are part of an $11.4 million dollar bond project approved in February 2021.
Completed in the summer of 2021 were elementary renovations that included HVAC improvements, roof repair, swimming pool renovations, ceiling tile replacement, improvement of parent pick up and drop off area, addition of a maintenance facility, and entryway restroom remodel.
The renovations at the middle school and high school included a new roof, safe and secure entries at both buildings, office renovations, HVAC replacement and an addition of a maintenance facility. All buildings in the district upgraded their clocks and intercom systems.
The next phase of the project was addition of a multi-use turf field with improvements around the football field area, including the addition of visitor bleachers, a new concession stand and a new scoreboard. Next was the addition of the high school gym lobby in the spring of 2023.
School officials say the project was tax-neutral, which means taxpayers/patrons did not face increases in contributions to fund it.
(Our thanks to retired Milan Schools Superintendent Jane Rogers for providing the information used in this story)