State of the art: New arts wing at Carrboro High School is a welcome move; arts are an important part of a child’s education

Music students at Carrboro High School will finally be able to properly work on their craft without needing to go off campus.

A new arts wing at the high school will soon begin construction after the state’s local government commission approved financial terms. The total cost for the new facilities is estimated to be about $4.6 million.

This is great news for the school community. More opportunities will arise for student musicians while enriching the culture at the school.

In 2007, the school was built without an arts building because of budget-related complications.

Musicians at Carrboro High were forced to rehearse in an athletic room with poor acoustics and loud refrigeration equipment. They were also forced to move off campus for more serious rehearsals.

Parents and members of the community voiced their displeasure at the lack of facilities, which prompted action from the local school board.

Todd LoFrese, assistant superintendent for support services for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, explained that Carrboro High needed to be built quickly in order to relieve overcrowding at other Chapel Hill high schools, even if it meant that some sacrifices had to be made.

He pointed out that other facilities were reduced in addition to the arts, such as a smaller gymnasium, and that the same dilemma has occurred at other local schools.

However, the arts are an important facet of a child’s intellectual development, and it is satisfying to see that the arts are still valued in the community.

Although it took a few years, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school system as well as the county should be commended for responding to the concerns of the community and recognizing that the arts serve as an important enrichment for a child’s education.