On Tuesday, November 17, the GUSD 120 Board of Education had a meeting to discuss an opportunity for our district. They approved the plan to move the primary schoolers to the middle school and add on some additions to the building.

This project will take 15 months, starting in December, to design the building’s additions and hold meetings to discuss it. It will take an additional 15 months to add on the additional classrooms, parking lot renovations, and new gym. During this time, the kitchen will also be moved, the commons will be extended, and the entire interior will be renovated. The timeline is long to ensure the architecture is perfect as it is costing the school $13.7 million dollars. 

Putting the primary schoolers and the middle schoolers in the same building fixes the facility problems of the 10 grades for a long period of time. However, the board still has plans for the other four grades that attend Galena High School. The primary school and middle school consolidation is Phase 1. Now, the board is working on Phase 2 which includes the renovations of the high school. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but the renovations being considered include a new gym, auditorium, commons, classrooms, AC, windows, and lunchroom. The board is putting together estimates to present later on.

The Board of Education is getting input from the people being affected by the renovations: teachers and staff. They will be meeting with them to make sure that the changes will be beneficial to everyone. Mr. Tim Vincent, the superintendent of the schools, is excited about this project. “I’m thrilled that the district can move forward on a facility project that will positively affect the lives of children, families, and the community for decades,” says Vincent. “Now that this concept is approved, I am looking forward to gathering the input of staff and other stakeholders to ensure that the design leads to enhanced education and extracurricular opportunities for every student.”

Starting December 2020, our schools will change forever. Thanks to the careful planning of our Board of Education, our future is looking bright.