W.L. Roach could be returning to his old haunt. Not really, butthe thought did cross the long-time Brookhaven High Schoolprincipal’s mind while touring the renovated facility recently.

“I’m going to reapply,” Roach joked when he glimpsed theprincipal’s office at the high school.

Roach served 33 years as BHS principal from July 1946 to June1979.

“I’d have stayed 53 years if I had a building like this,” Roachsaid while walking the halls with Assistant Superintendent JamesTillman.

Though terms like Media Center were not as familiar to him asLibrary, Roach was impressed with the new surroundings. Brieflyvisiting with Superintendent Dr. Sam Bounds, Roach recalled some ofhis dealings with students and joked that some students may getlost during their first few days in the expanded building.

Including the renovated main section and two wing additions, themain BHS building will have close to 100,000 square feet, Boundssaid. The first day for students in the new building is April2.

To fund the project, voters approved a $7.5 million bond issueand the school district received $3.5 million from the state toassist in preparing to teach students from the Mississippi Schoolof the Arts.

Roach said more room was needed regardless of the art schoolstudent addition. The former principal said building repairs wereneeded throughout his time as school leader.

“When I came, the roof was leaking and when I left the roof wasleaking,” Roach said. “It had been fixed and guaranteed severaltimes, but that didn’t stop it from leaking.”

The principal attributed the problem to a flat roof. Roach, amember of the State Education and Finance Commission, whichinspected school buildings around the state, said Brookhaven wasnot alone.

“Water stands and first thing you know, it leaks through,” Roachsaid.

Aside from the roof, Roach indicated the building was in goodshape.

He told a story about about trying to get a telephone line forthe school secretary’s office. Because of the building’s solidfoundation, technicians had to eventually go through a wall insteadof the preferred path through the floor.

“It has a good foundation and it’s a well-arranged building,”Roach said.

Roach said the building will be a source of pride for thecommunity and that should help with its upkeep.

“The better facilities you have, but better it is to keep,”Roach said. “If you’ve got a good building, students will help keepit up. Otherwise, they’ll add to the deterioration of it.”

Roach expected the influx of “cream of the crop” arts schoolstudents from around the state to have an impact on the schooldistrict as well.

“It’s going to be a tremendous influence,” Roach said. “It willbe a motivation for everyone involved.”

Roach complimented Bounds and his ability to secure funds forthe school project.

“He’s got a lot of money and he’s really improving the schooldistrict,” Roach said.

When approached about the BHS principal job in 1946, Roach wasnot considering leaving Columbia. However, after meeting withthen-Superintendent C.H. Lipsey, Roach accepted the job and calledit “the best move I ever made.”

One thing that impressed Roach was the level of local supportthe school received.

“It was know all over the state we had a good school down here,”Roach said.

That’s a community commitment that continues today.

Roach said a school can’t be everything it can be without localsupport. Mentioning overwhelming passage of the bond issue to fundthe renovations, Roach said he could not recall a time when theschool didn’t have great community support.

“The bond issue showed where people stand on that,” Roachsaid.