New Albany High School is replacing its 50-year-old gym floor, aging bleachers and outdated mechanical systems in a $4.3 million renovation of both its main and auxiliary gymnasiums.

The auxiliary gym is done. The main gym is expected to be complete by mid-October, according to Athletic Director Shawn Garmon.

Calhoun Construction Management is handling the project, which the NAHS Blotter reported Tuesday, Sept. 8, covers floor resurfacing with updated logos and game-line striping, ADA-compliant motorized bleachers, LED sports lighting, upgraded sound systems, HVAC improvements, fresh paint and new safety padding.

The main gym had not received a deep renovation since 2002. The most recent work was a basic sand-and-repaint job in 2022. The auxiliary gym had barely been updated since it was built more than two decades ago.

"The functionality of the bleachers in the main gym was the main reason we decided to renovate … We felt like the bleachers had probably outlived their lifespan, and also the main gym floor was over 50 years old," Garmon said. "You can only sand that and re-stain it so many times until you get down to where you can't do it anymore."

The Blotter reported the gym work is part of a broader $8.5 million investment in athletic facilities across the district. Architectural Review Board minutes from January 2025 list "improvements to the high school gym and locker room" among components of the New Albany-Plain Local Schools campus master plan, though the district's Issue 40 project list does not specifically name the gym renovation.

While the main gym is being finished, volleyball, cheer and basketball teams are sharing the completed auxiliary gym. Garmon, in his third year as athletic director, called it "short-term pain for long-term gain."

Head girls basketball coach Kelsy Taylor, a 2016 New Albany High School graduate, said the difference is already obvious. She recalled hating practice in the old auxiliary gym because the floors gave her shin splints.

Head boys basketball coach Jason Jones, in his fourth year, said the renovation sends a message to athletes that the district is invested in their futures. The main gym is expected to reopen for games and assemblies in mid-October.