JASPER, IN (WFIE) -
School officials in Jasper say because of a recent lawsuit with union workers, the project to build a new high school gym is at a standstill.
School officials say it's back to square one.
Right now, sports teams are playing in an old gym across town and two classrooms are no longer in service.
The superintendent says they don't know when those inconveniences will change because they had planned on their new gym being close to completion by now and that's not the case.
Jasper Wildcat Basketball team captain Caleb Begle says he remembers the day like it was yesterday.
"Monday morning my mom comes in and says 'School's cancelled, the gym roof collapsed,' and I didn't believe her at first."
The roof of the high school's gymnasium had collapsed from the weight of the rainwater that had collected during the rainy spring weather.
Begle says it was difficult to see.
Over the summer, Superintendent Jerrill Vandeventer had been hopeful construction of the new facility could begin in October.
However, he says an issue came up when the school board attempted to find a contractor to complete the project and set a non-union wage.
Vandventer says this angered the unions.
"They did not feel that there was sufficient evidence presented at that committee meeting hearing that indicated there was enough non-union projects locally here in Dubois County that constituted this project being a non-union scale," Vandeventer said.
Vandeventer says the union eventually filed a lawsuit, so this week, the school board made the decision to let the wage scale expire, forcing them to start all over again looking for builders.
Vandeventer says he hopes the project can finally be started in two months, but he says it's been a difficult wait.
"It definitely is frustrating. It's still a shock to go by and realize that we don't have that facility."
For Begle, he says leaving Jasper High School without a gym is tough realization, but he's hopeful for the building's future.
Vandeventer says this time around, they intend to bid the project all at once, instead of in phases.
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