District 95 administration settled into their new building this summer, which came with a larger and all-inclusive space.

The disconnect between departments reached beyond the old administration building and all the way to the May Whitney bus lot where Information Technology (I.T.) was located, according to Crystal Steker, director of technology.

“The work space we were in before was not conducive to the collaboration that we need to be effective,” Steker said. “So this [new] space is laid out so well that it really allows us to work more efficiently.”

The District 95 Administration is now located at 832 S. Rand Road. The administrative offices, I.T., Human Resources, and teacher training are all functioning in the same building for the first time.

“I honestly think that it’s helped with the morale in the building,” Courtney Pietrucha, HR/payroll assistant, said. “I love that all of the departments can have lunch together, we can collaborate together if we need to.”

The collaborative environment is a change from the old building where Jean Malek, director of communications, says she could go a whole week without seeing the Human Resources Department because of the physical design of the former building.

“They probably didn’t even think I worked there anymore,” Malek said.

The administration made their address change official on June 11. The new building was chosen to benefit their large number of employees and storage needs in an “unconventional approach,” Malek said, since the building used to be a Sears Hardware store.

“It’s a great location,” Pietrucha said. “It’s been much easier to tell people where we’re located, for people to find us, whether they’re employees or vendors or what have you.”

Kaine Osburn, superintendent, has found his own work easier by being in a space that is “supporting what you’re doing,” he said.

“It feels great to come here everyday to work,” Osburn said. “This building has kind of taken down some of the obstacles to working together. I think that when you don’t feel that there’s something getting in the way of collaboration, it feels better and easier to do and your job feels more rewarding.”

Employees share the positive feeling, Osburn said, and the overall practicality of the building has not gone unnoticed.

“It’s much more professional, this whole space,” Pietrucha said. “The meeting areas, the professional learning space, everything is just top notch, it’s beautiful.