LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A high school in Louisville will get millions of dollars worth of improvements.
Atherton High School is slated to get $54 million worth for upgrades and renovations, announced by Jefferson County Public Schools last week.
Emir Dizdarevic is an engineering teacher at the school on Dundee Road.
"Everything is great, but I'm happy to hear they're putting those investments in," Dizdarevic said.
Renderings show plans for a new, 3-story classroom addition at the center of the school's campus. According to the application, the new building will be more than 20,000-square-feet.
"It's a great idea and it's going to be very helpful to us and I'm just excited that they're starting soon and it looks like it's going to be awesome," Dizdarevic.
Atherton has more than 1,400 students. The school ranks seventh for high schools in Kentucky, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Dizdarevic believes the school could use the extra space.
"It's kind of tight and it's a great place, but having some more room to grow into is great," Dizdarevic said.
JCPS spokesperson Mark Hebert said Atherton's building is over-capacity and more classroom space is needed.
Kathleen Raque's niece goes to the high school. She said the school has to prepare for the future.
As Atherton grows, Raque said the Hayfield Dundee neighborhood will need more traffic lights to help control the increased traffic.
"You got to remember these kids are new drivers, many of them that are driving to school, they're rushing and people turn out in front of each other," Raque said. "There's no light up there."
The money will also be spent on renovations to the school's HVAC, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems.
JCPS plans to start construction this spring at Atherton.
Plans unveiled earlier this week show JCPS is also planning to build a new, $56 million middle and high school building on the W.E.B. DuBois Academy campus in Newburg. Atherton is just one of 20 new buildings that JCPS plans to construct in the next decade, according to Hebert.
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