District 95 is planning on renovating LZHS over the summer with new architecture and furniture changes.
The construction will focus mainly on the Field House, Tonelli Gym and the culinary arts lab. The new furniture will be installed in the A, B, C and S classrooms, with the Hub, lower Hub and Studio C not receiving new furniture on account of those areas already possessing identical furniture from previous renovation projects.
“We’re really looking forward to updating some of our facilities here so that [students] can have the best experience possible. That’s really what we’re looking at,” John Walsh, Principal of LZHS, said. “I do believe our board is investing a good amount of money in these areas, but it’s worth it, and it will give our students better experiences as well.”
In addition to replacing some windows and doors, an A/C will be installed in Tonelli Gym, which is currently one of the only areas in the building without air conditioning. The field house will undergo even more changes, with floors, and bleachers being renovated.
“Bleachers usually last about 25 years. You have to re-sand a basketball court once every 25 years. There’s a certain shelf life to certain things, and some things are less than 50 years” Walsh said.
Besides Tonelli Gym and the field house, other areas that will undergo renovations include the culinary lab and the serving line in the cafeteria.
“In terms of [the] culinary [lab], our space is just outdated. We are constantly updating it, and that space just needs to be more modern. It looks the same as it looked in 1950 and kitchens look different then. So, that is just part of me speaking to my bosses [saying] we have an area that needs some updating,” Walsh said.
Walsh believes that changes to areas such as the culinary labs and the addition of furniture will improve student activities and programs, as well as the state of the school overall.
“I think we’re going to have better opportunities with our culinary program,” Walsh said. “I think our field house will be state of the art. I think our furniture is going to be 21st century furniture, and people will be comfortable.”
The idea to change the furniture in District 95 schools was part of a strategic plan by the District, that was partially delayed due to COVID.
“We went through a referendum [years ago] where the community agreed that their taxes would go up and give us a bunch of money for […] air conditioning at middle school south,” Walsh said. “Well, one of those things in the referendum was new furniture for all the schools. And again, because of COVID, it’s a little bit delayed from when we wanted it to happen.”
While many of these changes have been years in the making, others, according to Walsh, are simply necessary for maintenance.
“Furniture is really a part [strategic plans] five, six years ago. The other [changes] are just updates that have had to happen,” Walsh said. “I think of the […] stadium. There’s a new […] scoreboard out there […] because the old scoreboard kept breaking right and it needed to be replaced, or else we’d be playing a game and all of a sudden there’d be no time up there.”
In terms of furniture, the District will be employing the same manufacturing firm that provided furniture for the Hub, lower Hub and Studio C. One way the administration collected student and teacher feedback on the change was by placing demo furniture in the Hub, where students and teachers shared their opinions in a survey conducted by the administration.
“[The manufacturers] come and they let students and teachers try out a bunch of different furniture,” Walsh said. “So we use that feedback to really look at it and be like, what kind of furniture would we like to see in our classrooms? And then we also got teacher feedback like, what kind of furniture would we like to see there? But it’s really about the learning […], what learning is taking place, and what’s the best furniture for that learning?”
According to a Bear Facts survey of 214 respondents, 48% of the students that responded strongly liked the demo furniture showcased in the Hub at the beginning of second semester.
“I really enjoy the new furniture,” Autumn Clayton, Junior, who visited the Hub in order to demo the new furniture being added this summer, said. “It’s very comfortable. Not that there’s anything wrong with the previous furniture, [but] it’s always fun to get new things.”
In addition to using the same furniture manufacturer, the District will also be employing the same architectural firm that worked on the Hub, lower Hub, and Studio C projects, DLA, which has served as the District’s architectural firm for a number of years. However, this summer will also see other architects work on renovations.
“This [change] was directed by the Board of Education to just put a fresh set of eyes on a project,” Lyle Erstad, Director of Facilities & Grounds, said. “This was just an opportunity for the district to seek another set of eyes. It was a board driven process, so we were just supporting the board.”
While Walsh believes that it will take some time for students and teachers to get used to the new changes, he also believes that the renovations will ultimately have a positive effect on the school.
“I think for some people, it might be a little bit weird to have more than one type of furniture in their classroom,” Walsh said. “It might take some getting used to, but I think it’s for the best for our community.”