Students and staff are beginning the academic school year with a weight lifted off of their

shoulders as they are no longer faced with the challenges of ongoing construction that burdened them for

the past three years.

The school, which was formerly divided into two distinct buildings, has now been consolidated

into a single, large facility. When interviewed by WOODTV8, Superintendent Doug VanderJagt exclaimed

how the new structure extends almost a third a mile from one end to another, presenting specific

challenges for counselors as they arrange class schedules to reduce the distance students must walk

during the day. ̈It takes time to iron some of those things out, but our counselors will take a close look

and try not to have a student get 20,000 steps in a day if they don't have to. Sometimes, you're stuck in

those situations. Other times, they take good care of them and get them where they need to be, ̈ stated

VanderJagt.

A notable enhancement to the school is the recently inaugurated fieldhouse, which began

operations approximately six months ago. The former gymnasium had a limited capacity of 1,800

students, insufficient to serve the entire student population. In contrast, the new fieldhouse can

accommodate 3,700 individuals and includes an indoor track, a tennis court, two levels of weight and

fitness facilities, a wrestling room, and modern locker rooms. The school now features two auditoriums,

four gymnasiums, two swimming pools and the new fieldhouse.

In addition to the renovations taking place in other areas, students, staff and visitors will discover

eight newly constructed classrooms, along with a specialized area designated for robotics and esports

initiatives. The concluding phase of the project is aimed at addressing the remaining ̈punch list ̈ items,

guaranteeing that all aspects are refined and prepared for the academic year.

The issue of parking, which was a considerable challenge throughout the construction phase, has

been addressed with the addition of extra spaces on the southern and eastern peripheries of the school.

VanderJagt remarked, "Throughout the construction period, parking was often utilized on grassy areas.

However, with the completion of the project, we now have an ample number of parking spots available for

all our students. We also acknowledge that, with a student body of this size, it's common for one or two

more students to obtain their drivers license each day. ̈