Francis Howell High School is hosting an on-campus ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the new academic wing.

The ceremony will start in the 94 gym and then move outside for the ribbon cutting. During the ceremony there will be speeches, tours, refreshments and a performance the Howell band.

The email distributed by the district eNews Jul. 26 is below:

The Francis Howell School District (FHSD) will hold a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new Francis Howell High School (FHHS) Academic Building on Monday, August 1, at 6:30 p.m.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at FHHS will include comments from Dr. Pam Sloan, Principal Dr. Chris Greiner, and Board President Mike Sommer, as well as refreshments, a special performance by the Viking Band, and tours of the new building. The Ceremony will begin in the 94 gymnasium and then move outside for the ribbon cutting.  FHHS is located at 7001 Highway 94 South in St. Charles.

Construction on the 250,000 square foot academic building began in June 2009. FHHS is the District’s oldest high school and needed major renovation due to aging sewer, plumbing, and other systems. The new building replaces most of FHHS and will improve security on the campus by housing students in a single building versus the former open multi-building campus. The three-story addition to the west side of Building ‘A’ adds 106 classrooms, a library media center, cafeteria and commons area, administrative offices, and expanded parking. The second phase of construction will include a new multi-function gymnasium and sports fields, which are projected to be completed in 2013.

These projects are a part of the $78.5 million Proposition B – Building for Our Children’s Future no-tax-rate-increase bond issue, approved by voters in the fall of 2008.