THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, August 4, 1996                TAG: 9608040048
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   40 lines

CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL WILL OPEN ON TIME, UNFINISHED GYM, CLASSROOMS NEARBY WON'T OPEN AT HICKORY HIGH UNTIL LATER IN THE FALL.

From the outside, the city's newest high school looks like it's in mid-construction.

But school officials say Hickory High will open for students on schedule next month, although some parts of the building will not be ready.

``They're going to open the building and be able to house all the students for instructional purposes,'' said school system spokesman Tom Cupitt.

Workers are putting the finishing touches on classrooms, offices and the exterior.

The gymnasium and attached classrooms, however, will not open until later in the fall.

Some students in courses such as band and art will temporarily attend class in regular classrooms.

``They'll find the space for it, because the vast majority of the building will be ready,'' Cupitt said.

As originally planned, the auditorium also will not open until later in the fall.

Cupitt said heavy rains throughout the spring and summer have delayed construction.

``The weather's been just terrible,'' he said.

``Last summer, we didn't have any rain. We couldn't drink the water, but we could've built the school quicker. It's just one of those things.''

Cupitt was referring to low rainfall last summer which led to salty-tasting drinking water.

Hickory will be the city's sixth high school.

The school was planned to help relieve crowding in Chesapeake's fast-growing southern section.

Athletic teams already have been practicing at other school system facilities.

Students, parents and community members have been asked to help with such tasks as picking the school's mascot and colors and selecting the name of the student newspaper. by CNB