As Director of Facilities, Stewart Walker turned into the JC driveway on the first day of school, he admired one of the major facilities improvements. Months of strategic planning and days of working had paid off as he rolled along the newly resealed and re-striped school driveway.

In order to present a new and improved image of the school to the students, JC underwent a variety of changes this summer, according to Walker. The school’s driveway was resealed and re-striped, more energy efficient lights were installed, and the gym floors were re-sealed with new logos.  “It’s better because it won’t ruin my car,” senior Shannon Lynch said.

“While we are trying to maintain what we already have, we are also trying to upgrade gradually,” Walker said.

The resealing of the gym floors was considered part of routine renovations. Alterations such as the more energy efficient lights in the gym and the repaving of the parking lots, however, were planned changes meant to last.

“There are both protective and aesthetic properties that we considered. What we are trying to do is solve both the short term and long term problems at once,” Walker said.

When school let out last June, Walker immediately began to execute the summer projects that he had planned throughout the school year.

“As soon as school ended, the maintenance crew got right to work with clearing the classrooms and waxing the floors,” Principal Paul Barker said. “It seems like a long vacation, but with a big school, 50 classrooms, and people going in and out, we run out of time.”

But the renovations continue. The maintenance team is currently in the middle of the organization process of another project to refurbish the patio near the Art Wing and to install cast iron letters, spelling out “The John Carroll School” on the wall adjacent to RT 22.

“Sometimes, people drive past the back of the school and don’t know what building they’re passing. This is a way we can more thoroughly identify ourselves as the John Carroll School,” Walker said.

Walker hopes that the improvements will strengthen the sense of community at JC. “We want people who are not a part of the John Carroll community to say, ‘This is a place I want to be involved in,’ and the students to say, ‘Hey, I’m proud of the school I go to,’” Walker said.

Kirby Browning can be reached for comment at [email protected].