Larry Hypes
Contributing Writer
CHRISTIANSBURG – Here they grow again!
A massive 22-classroom addition, new cafeteria, gym facilities, library, fine arts rooms, a cyber-security classroom, an accessibility class section with a life-skills area and a host of upgrades are all part of the ongoing construction at Christiansburg High School.
Groundbreaking officially began in Oct. 2023 and is expected to be completed by the start of the 2026-27 school year. With a present enrollment of approximately 1,000 students, CHS will soon be able to accommodate an estimated 1,600 children in grades 9 –12.
“We are fortunate to be located in a thriving community,” said Principal Shane Guynn, “and this expansion not only allows us to be better prepared to handle an increased enrollment in the future, but it also has greatly improved our facilities.”
CHS is one of four Montgomery County high schools, including Blacksburg, Auburn and Eastern Montgomery.
Not only will the school be a showcase for the Blue Demon athletic and academic teams, but since the campus stands on part of the Christiansburg Institute, the long-time school for African-American students in the New River Valley, the new building will also proudly house a section honoring the CI heritage with various displays and artifacts.
Christiansburg Institute closed in 1966, when all students began attending the same school. Christiansburg High School first opened in 1906, a more modern structure was built near downtown in 1934 and much of the original building which now houses CHS was opened in 1972.
The proud past is now marching toward a brighter future, believes the principal. Andrew Webb, Communications Coordinator for the school system, credits school board members and the Board of Supervisors, plus state and other local leaders for their support of the project, along with essential involvement from former school superintendent Bernard Bragen, Jr., and current interim Superintendent Dr. Lois Graham.
Guynn, a Narrows native who has worked at Christiansburg for 23 years, is an energetic leader who is pleased with several features of the construction that will help to protect students, faculty and staff.
“We now have a main entrance that channels all incoming visitors through one area, with visitors checking in at the office and that is a more secure feature,” he says. “In addition, our main office is located closer to our guidance area and medical section so that students can access both and we will be able to respond to their needs in a more effective way. A stairway will directly connect the office to that section.”
A modern clinic area is staffed by two registered nurses, and the counseling area features personnel for all grade levels. In addition, a counselor for New River Community College helps coordinate dual enrollment courses, enabling high school students to obtain college credits to aid their entry into higher education after graduation from CHS.
Emphasis on Career and Technical Education (CTE) includes expanded facilities and modernization of the existing labs to enhance their layout and functionality, in addition to increased CTE course offerings.
One impressive addition is the new library area and no one is more pleased with that improvement than librarian Susan Light, also a 23-year veteran of the Christiansburg facility.
“It (the library) has been a labor of love for me,” laughs Light, “because in the past year I have packed and moved 12,000 books! We now have a reading nook, a wonderful set of windows which makes our library more pleasant, more inviting to the children, and a we have a virtual lab for language study, including French and Spanish and American Sign Language. Our old area had classes above, a hallway in the middle – this is so much better.”
Guynn notes an aesthetic feature that has also improved the entire school – color coordination in many areas including the library, the gym, etc. The auditorium is also being enhanced with a modern sound system, improved seating, lighting, a movie projection facility and an effective “rebuild” to provide a first-class facility capable of seating 1,000 persons.
Jodi Bailey, a former English teacher and now an assistant principal, says, “The new windows have made a tremendous difference in the atmosphere of our school – lighting is wonderful and the calming effect makes for a happier student body and that is a plus for our educational process. All of us are pleased with the windows.”
David Miller, director of the award-winning CHS band is another instructor with 23 years of experience and says of the new fine arts area, “This facility is everything we expected and more. Our band and choir areas are expanded with new equipment and areas for selected study. We look forward to an even better experience because of these improvements and additions.”
As the construction comes closer to completion in the new few months, Guynn and his staff are working hard to make the transition a smooth one as the school is transformed even while classes continue.
“Oh, yes, I am making some furniture orders right now for certain sections,” he laughs. “We are blending the new with the old and working to make it the best it can be for students and staff both inside the building and on the grounds outside.”
CHS features a modern athletic complex as well as an area for band practices, etc., that have also undergone recent improvements.
