A new elementary school is being built on East Badger Road.
Throughout his eight years at Madison East High School, Kennedy Adeetuk taught English in a wing that he politely describes as “antiquated.” His classroom was separated from the others by thin folding partitions that did little to manage distractions and volume.
“It could get really, really loud,” says Adeetuk. “And [the partitions] would sway if you were putting something on the walls or if the kids would lean on them, so that can be a little disconcerting.”
When Madison voters in 2020 approved a referendum to pay for needed school improvements, the installation of real walls was one of the top requests for the English department at East. Construction started this spring, with Adeetuk and the other English teachers having to work around wall removal and ceiling tile work during the last week of classes.
The referendum package included $317 million in spending for capital projects and $33 million for operating costs. School administrators told the Madison school board in May that the projects could cost an additional $28 million due to inflation and construction costs.
Melinda Heinritz, president of the Madison Public Schools Foundation, says that more than two years of planning preceded the referendum vote. “The district prepared and planned a multi-year facilities plan, and this referendum piece was part of that long-range plan.”
Over the course of four years, the referendum will fund renovations in four area high schools; the consolidation of Capital High School into one location at the former Hoyt School building on Regent Street; the construction of the new Rimrock Elementary School on Badger Road; and the implementation of environmentally friendly practices across school locations.
La Follette and Vel Phillips Memorial High schools are both 60 years old, and East and West High were built about a century ago. The buildings use fluorescent lighting, outdated plumbing fixtures, and an air ventilation system from the 1940s. Capital High is split between three locations —west-side students are learning in a leased strip mall site, while Capital High Eastside and Capital High Parenting are using borrowed space inside Lapham Elementary and Marquette Elementary, respectively.
Says Heinritz: “Our high schools were overdue for major investment.”
Construction Madison schools 2022
Final renderings for, from top, clockwise, West, Vel Phillips Memorial and East high schools.
Each high school has been allotted $70 million for renovations and updates. The renovations include everything from classroom upgrades to accessibility additions to new sports and fitness center builds. Capital High is receiving $6 million to update the Hoyt building to fit the high school’s needs, and the remaining $29 million will be used to build Rimrock Elementary. Capital High and the elementary school are scheduled for completion by the 2023-2024 school year, and the remaining projects should be ready for the 2024-2025 school year.
This summer, Findorff Construction has been working at La Follette High School on a new gym addition and stadium renewal alongside classroom updates and new laboratory countertops and equipment. While its ductwork and piping is being redone, Vel Phillips Memorial High is also receiving new flooring, ceilings, classroom paint, applied technology spaces, and fine arts areas. At West High, Findoff has been working on a new pool, gym and fitness addition. Construction has also begun on East High’s cafeteria addition and a new welcome center entrance along with the classroom updates.
On one side of East’s English wing, the classrooms had real walls but no windows for natural light. On the other were classrooms, like Adeetuk’s, that were technically sections of one larger communal space, separated by temporary walls. Most classrooms included odd office spaces that were rarely used by teachers; part of the complete renovation of the English wing includes the repurposing of these unused offices for additional classroom space.
The size of the original rooms made for a tight fit especially for the larger classes that have upwards of 35 students. Thanks to the classroom expansions, Adeetuk believes the students and teachers will feel far more comfortable.
All four high schools have some renovated spaces ready in time for students’ return to school. These primarily include classroom remodels and updates to building mechanical systems. One of the more significant updates already completed this summer is the renovation of Lussier Stadium on Pflaum Road.
Construction will continue throughout the school year, including building additions and further classroom updates.
Two million dollars of the capital referendum has been dedicated to sustainable facilities and practices, including the installation of solar panels and eco-friendly lighting as well as a curriculum that includes environmental education.
Henritz says that students led the charge for the district to invest more in environmental sustainability. “They deserve the credit for the additional $2 million,” she says. “They went to bat for this and the MMSD staff and Board of Education listened.”
The school district is doing its best to prepare students and their families for the ongoing construction and changes to their schools that they will encounter this year, says Tim LeMonds, district spokesperson.
Heinritz says the school district is working to navigate any construction obstacles by maintaining consistent communication with students and their families, posting major updates to the district’s website and emailing construction updates to parents regularly.
“We’re trying to give our families as much advance notice as possible,” says LeMonds. “If there are things where maybe parking may be an issue one day or a part of a street may be blocked, we’re trying to stay ahead of those temporary inconveniences you would expect around a construction site.”
As students transition back into the new school year, Findorff Construction will turn its focus to construction that will be less disruptive to students. However, some interior construction disruptions are to be expected, including temporary classroom relocations and bathroom closures.
The construction is worth the temporary inconvenience, says Heinritz: “This is a community saying ‘yes’ to our public schools and putting a major investment in our four high schools.”
Adeetuk agrees: “To see that the community actually does care and they want to provide their students with the best opportunities — I value that reinvestment they are putting back into their schools.”
