After years of coordination, a major remodeling and building project at Northwest High School is scheduled to begin in the coming months. Starting with the band and choir rooms, then the locker rooms. Moving on will be the science rooms, bathrooms, and the teachers’ lounge. In September of 2027, construction crews aim to start the remodeling and additions of the STEM room and be done by February 2028.
Since students are not able to attend and be part of these meetings, throughout the design process, Northwest Principal Scott Buchler has been in constant communication, voicing the school’s needs for more room to learn and better-quality space.
“I always talk about teaching stations and space and programs for our kids,” said Buchler. “Our band and choir are top programs in the state. It is great, adding that new space because it is so crowded for those teachers up there.”
As the band and choir programs continue to grow, both the students and their directors require more room to flourish. Band teacher Bryan Mangiavellano expressed the need for the new area.
“I’m very much looking forward to the new space. We desperately need places for everyone to practice,” said Mangiavellano. Currently, our band and choir rooms only have one designated practice room each. With over 150 individual students in each of these programs, two rooms are not enough for all of those students. Having more practice rooms will help facilitate their learning.
Likewise, the STEM program at Northwest is growing rapidly. Andrew House, a teacher involved with the STEM program, stated how challenging the low capacity in their current rooms is.
“The shop we have does not currently have the space to accommodate the number of students we have in class, nor does it have the space to accommodate a lot of the machines,” said House.
Along with the expansion, the STEM program is also receiving some new equipment. Flave Stump, one of the STEM teachers, spoke about the benefits of the changes.
“I think it is going to open up a lot of opportunities. We’re looking at bringing in a whole new program (the Ignite program) that will get students not only college-ready but also workforce-ready,” said Stump. The Ignite program is a new, more advanced manufacturing program designed to prepare students for future career endeavors.
The entire process is estimated to take one to two years until it is fully complete. Buchler assures that none of the construction will interfere with the currently occupied classrooms. While some of the construction might take place during the school year, it will be done outside and away from students and staff.
Overall, the opinions of the changes being made to the school are positive. Teachers are looking forward to the new and updated spaces. With these changes, the programs will be able to grow and evolve quickly. The new updated space will make learning easier and more accessible to the students and teachers.
