Changes to allow for construction of new classrooms

New space to benefit staff, students

A+visitor+stops+at+the+student+office+in+the+main+entrance+of+the+high+school+Nov.+13.+This+new+office+is+located+by+the+circle+hallway+at+the+end+of+the+lunchroom+in+the+high+school.

Jayde Claussen

A visitor stops at the student office in the main entrance of the high school Nov. 13. This new office is located by the circle hallway at the end of the lunchroom in the high school.

Maria Perez Barriga

The former student offices are now being used as a space for the Special Education Department and Grade Level Coordinators, according to assistant Principal Jessica Busse.

“The old student office has actually become our Special Education office and the front half is the Grade Level Coordinator (GLC) space. It’s completely occupied already and has been rearranged. It doesn’t really look like it’s the same space,” Busse said.

According to Busse, the old offices will be converted to classrooms to expand the amount of room available to teachers and students.

“The counseling office, Mr. Meyer’s old office and the health office will all be turned into classrooms,” Busse said. “We have a lot of teachers who are sharing classrooms and moving between classes, so we wanted to have more spaces available for our students and teachers.”

Junior Elizabeth Orton said she believes the changes to the old counseling office will be advantageous to the school, bringing more room for students and teachers.

“(There is) a new counseling office now, which (is) really nice and the health office is really nice now. If they are using it as a (space for) those classrooms that would be beneficial for the school,” Orton said. 

Busse said the use of the former student offices was transformed to have the Special Education services in one location for the staff to be able to work efficiently together. 

“We wanted a space that was more centrally located and our Special Ed. student services were spread throughout the building. Now they are all in one place so it’s a better situation for (the Special Education Department),” Busse said. 

Sophomore Landon Stevens-Mastermen said the use of the old student office by GLC’s and Special department is beneficial to staff. 

“As long as we still have a student office where we can get help honestly if (the GLC’s and Special Education department) need the space, that is good,” Stevens-Mastermen said.

According to Busse, the construction of the new classrooms will take place next year and will likely be completed by 2021.

“We are hoping that (the construction of classrooms will) get started over the summer if not (in) early spring, but we are not anticipating those classrooms to be ready until later, probably 2021,” Busse said.