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Updated 02/26/08

HISTORY

 

This project began in January of 2006 when the school board commissioned KCBA Architects to complete a study of the district’s schools. The study looked at the enrollment, facilities and curriculum and how our schools performed in each area. KCBA Architect’s reported serious deficiencies at the middle school, but worse conditions at the high school. They recommended several construction options to fix the problems.

 

KCBA Reported Deficiencies for Unionville High School

• Area Plan - Multiple additions over the years have not created a good layout
• Site circulation does not function well and parking is inadequate
• Inadequate space for athletic fields
• Educational program is limited by size of the building
• Building is in fair condition but is stressed by number of students
• Condition of older modular units is very poor
• Technology Education area needs upgrades
• Athletic areas need major upgrades
• Kitchen and cafeteria area needs major upgrades and more space
• Science labs need major upgrades
• Main office area is significantly undersized and cannot supervise the front door
• Auditorium needs upgrades
• Music areas need major upgrades and more space
• Social Studies classrooms are too small
• Students walk through mud to and from modular units, creating maintenance issue
• Security around modular units is lacking

 

In July of 2006, MM Architects were hired to develop design options. After months of working with teachers, staff and administrators MM Architects presented their design options to the school board at public meetings on October 16 and 23. From October to January, all parties focused on the design options to be able to present a functional, cost-effective plan to the community. The community presentation occurred on January 31, 2007 and included information from the architects on design and the district on functionality and finance.

 

Since the January community presentation, there have been many board committee meetings which have focused on the design and financing of the project. A listing of those meetings can be found here.

 

A summary of the major issues:

 

Classroom Space due to Rising Enrollment
Because of rising student enrollment since the last addition to Unionville High School, the most immediate need is classroom space.  In the last 5 years, twelve modular trailers have been added to the courtyard area behind the high school to keep pace with expanded enrollment (see enrollment chart below ). Even with the addition of the trailers, students now meet in substandard spaces that were originally designed as storage and mechanical rooms. On most days, you can find students eating lunch outside the school cafeteria because seating space is so limited.

 

Enrollment Chart - Click to enlarge and to see data

 

Teachers and administrators are having great difficulty finding appropriate space to teach our children. While many are suffering, science and art areas are woefully inadequate to the need. More academic departments will reach the same point in the next few years.

 

Views of twelve modular classroom trailers

 

Student Safety and Security
In the last few years, the need to place more emphasis on student safety and security has become clear. The current high school design with the administrative office in the center of the building far from the main entrance, leaves much to be desired. Visitors can enter and traverse the building without registering their presence. Currently, security greeters are employed to manage visitors, but with a properly situated office area, their time can be focused more on student issues. In addition to the main office location, the school nurse’s office is located far from the main area of the school.

 

The modular trailers present another safety and security issue as students must walk outside in all weather to attend classes.

 

Building Age
Since 1959, both the auditorium and the gymnasium have not been improved. In fact, due to ADA requirements, the auditorium seating has been reduced from the original 906 seats to 820. This means our students have been using the same spaces for close to 50 years without significant improvements. The gymnasium floor has been sanded and finished so many times that it cannot be done again.

Air conditioning has been installed in two of the three floors of the school, but one floor and significantly, the auditorium, are not air conditioned.

 

Classrooms are inadequate especially in science, where instruction is vastly different from the 1959 curriculum, as are the classroom and lab configurations. Programs which could have only been dreamed about a half century ago are now a reality in high schools.

 

 

 

Site Access and Parking

With added students, parents and staff, the flow of traffic at the high school/middle school/district office complex has become more congested. With the added vehicles, a greater need for safe parking and routing has emerged.