For 64 years, Parkway Central has proudly been a place for tradition, growth, and support for its students. This fall, though, students returning to Parkway Central will notice some exciting changes around the building, with several big renovations happening over the summer of 2025.
One of the first projects on the list is replacing the original bleachers in Gym A, which have been in use since the gym opened in 1992. The new bleachers will offer updated seating and a safer, more modern look for sporting events and assemblies.
Workers will be doing tile work in the pool area and resurfacing the deck around the pool to clean up and refresh the space, along with some locker room glow-ups. However, the pool renovation is already facing some delays because all four Parkway high schools are undergoing similar updates. As a result, Dr. Tim McCarthy, the building’s principal, reveals that the work may continue into the 2025-2026 school year.
“The pool renovation is already being pushed back because Parkway North had some delays, and we are also doing some locker room renovations, so I don’t have a necessarily timeline for those because it will be going through the school year,” McCarthy said.
To stay ahead of the construction schedule, Water Polo Coach Schonhoff, Athletic Director Mr. Guilfoil, and Dr. McCarthy worked together earlier this year to adjust the water polo team’s season.
“Water polo has been affected already this year so that the construction could start earlier,” Dr. McCarthy said.“We decided to try to get as much done this summer and recognize that it may go into the fall, with swimming being affected.”
The adjustments have already had a direct impact on the boys’ water polo team, which has had to overcome several challenges this season. Senior captain Alan Conway shared what the season has been like.
“The main thing we have had to deal with is driving over to Westminster for practice instead of being able to just walk to the pool,” Conway said. “This is kind of unfortunate because our practice time gets shortened by about 30 minutes since we still have to end at around 5:15.”
The biggest project this summer will be an expansion of the cafeteria’s servery–the area where students go through the lunch lines. While the kitchen itself will remain unchanged, the servery will be renovated and expanded into part of the existing staff lounge.
Transportation has also been a consistent issue for the team, especially without access to buses.
“I think that the biggest challenge is figuring out rides, especially when we don’t have a bus to get to the games,” Conway said. “However, our team was able to figure it out quickly and the rides have been sorted.”
“It’ll be nicer and the layout will be nicer, hopefully the flow will not be as tight and it will be more spacious with a few more stations,” McCarthy said.
These projects were chosen based on district-level priorities rather than school-specific requests.
“It is decided at a district level, and these were the needs that were identified. The servery is pretty dated and the bleachers are the original bleachers,” McCarthy said.
Although the goal is to have the new cafeteria servery finished before the start of the school year, McCarthy acknowledges that delays are always possible. Access to the building will also be limited over the summer, although the main entrance will remain open.
Despite the water polo setbacks, Conway remains optimistic about the long-term impact of the renovations.
“I am happy that the renovations are happening, however, it is unfortunate that our season is affected this much,” Conway said.
While the renovations may bring a few temporary challenges, they also represent exciting improvements that will benefit Parkway Central’s students for years to come. From a refreshed pool area to a larger, more efficient cafeteria, the changes are designed to make the school an even better place to learn, compete, and connect.
