Proctor High School Gets New Auditorium

    The auditorium at Proctor High School first opened its doors in 1939 for students to enjoy the arts...But over the years equipment went out of date and the theatre fell in need of repairs. Seven years ago the board of education applied for state and federal grants to renovate it.

                Board of Education President Chris Salatino says, "One of the things the board of education was trying to do was a historical renovation on the theatre which is what we've accomplished. So we went back to his original grandeur except we jazzed it up with a lot of technology."

            And those improvements include things like new lighting and sound system.. all part of a 187-million dollar building grant. Superintendent Bruce Karam says the money to fund this project is separate from the school taxes residents pay.

                Karam says, "They're two different funds that are being used and really has nothing to do with the other as far as what the tax situation is or what your layoffs are going to be, they're really two different apples and oranges."

                The multi-million dollar project has been years in the making but the board of education says it was important to keep as much of the project as local as possible.

                Salatino added, "We did have a PLA agreement which allowed some local contractors to work on it, we had interships with our students. I mean its just been a phenomial project for the community as a whole and it actually has brought some dollars back into the community."