Neshoba Central unveils new center
Neshoba Central High School celebrated the unveiling of its new performing arts center on Monday with a ribbon-cutting event.
“This will be a facility that is not only beautiful on the inside, what it looks like on the outside for this campus and community, but also the ability for it to showcase the talent of our students,” said Superintendent of Education Josh Perkins. “That’s the most important thing we can do.
“Students will be able to use it, utilize it, and it’s something they can have a lot of pride in. There are not many facilities like this anywhere,” he said.
The performing arts center construction project began over a year ago after demolishing the old high school building and was completed in December.
The facility was designed by PryorMorrow architecture firm with input from Band Director Daniel Wade and was tailored to meet students' requirements.
“It’s most deserving for the students in Neshoba County. It’s not for the adults, it’s for the children,” Wade said. “It showcases all their hard work and accomplishments they have done and will continue to do.”
He added, “Dr. Brantley contacted me in 2021 and we started putting together the plans and how we wanted it to lay out. We got the first plan, started tweaking it, and tried to find where we could save money to utilize the money for its best potential to have the best facility we could have.”
The facility features a spacious practice area, a smaller practice area with soundproof doors, storage lockers, big bathrooms, and an upstairs storage facility for instruments. It was designed to be functional and student-centric.
“I’m extremely proud of this building,” said Assistant Superintendent and Project Manager Tommy Holland. “It is something that showcases the front of our campus. When someone comes to visit, this is one of the first things they will see.”
The new chorus room, equipped with 80 chairs, several acoustical tiles, and a sloped ceiling, represents a significant upgrade for the choir department.
“It’s like a miracle for the chorus department,” said Middle School Choir Director Richard Boykin. “We’ve been practicing for the last two and a half years in the cafeteria, so you can imagine how much better it’s going to be here. It’s been a long time coming.”
The new performing arts center is intended to meet students' needs, while providing a conducive space for competition practice, and furthering their artistic journey for years to come.