Greene Central responds to online criticism over band room size at new high school
Greene Central High School is responding to online criticism and community concern over the size of the band room planned for the county’s new high school, saying much of the discussion has been driven by misinformation and stressing that both the new school and the existing music building will continue to serve student musicians.
In a public statement shared online, school officials said the current band building is not slated for demolition and will remain as part of the campus. According to the post, that building is expected to undergo renovations including plumbing, electrical and cosmetic updates.
School officials also pushed back against claims that the band program would be left without enough space in the new building. Greene Central said the new high school includes a band room designed to meet daytime instructional needs, with modern instrument lockers, sound-deadening walls, a sink for instrument cleaning, an office for the band director and a storage room. The room will also have access to an outdoor paved patio.
The school said an image circulating publicly showed a furniture layout with 50 chairs in the new band classroom and argued that the space is sufficient for current daytime class enrollment and projected growth.
At the same time, officials acknowledged the separate needs of the marching band, which often requires more space than a standard class period setting. The statement said the existing music building will still be available after school for marching band use, and the school is working to dedicate funding to duplicate certain needed items so the program can function in both locations.
The response comes as Greene County continues work on the new high school, a project school leaders say has been shaped heavily by safety concerns. In the statement, officials said one of the top priorities in the design process was improving student safety by reducing reliance on disconnected buildings, which they said can complicate building security and student movement during the school day.
Greene Central said the new school is intended to provide a safer and more modern environment for all students and programs, even if budget limitations prevented every desired feature from being included in the final design.
School officials did not dismiss the concerns outright, but framed them as part of a broader community conversation. In the statement, Greene Central said it welcomes productive discussion from students and parents who still have questions about the project.
The debate reflects how closely the community is watching plans for the new high school, particularly when it comes to preserving and supporting longstanding student programs like band. For now, school leaders are trying to reassure families that the program will have access to both a new classroom space for the school day and the existing music building for after-school marching band activities.
