New High School Takes Shape
3-D movies are quite popular these days. Even though you know you’re seated in a movie theater, when you put on the special glasses it really does feel like you jump right inside the picture.
Board of Education and community members had a similar experience recently when architects invited us “inside” the new high school via a special 3-D rendering of the facility. It was amazing to see the insights of so many people finally take form in these interior and exterior drawings.
In two weeks, on January 25, the Board of Education will consider formal approval of these designs and take another important step toward this important community initiative.
I want to emphasize that the new high school truly is a community initiative. People from throughout our community have been engrossed in every detail of the project, from the earliest steps that led to your vote of approval, to the colors of the carpet that will be laid in the hallways.
Your friends and neighbors, board members, school administrators, and the teachers who will make use of the classrooms have been guiding the architects. The architects, in turn, have listened to, and carefully considered, how the building will be shaped, how many rooms will be needed, the square footage you can afford, and where the building will fit into the site.
I personally am very pleased that the school will be placed on the property in a way that blends in with the natural beauty of the wetlands.
The architects have walked up and down Main Street, absorbing the architectural styles and colors of our downtown to bring these elementsinto the design. And, as the design took shape on paper and palette, they continued to meet with members of the building planning team, to be sure they were on course.
I want to take a moment to publicly thank the following people for their important work on the building planning team:Marc Alexa, Anita Osterman, Dale Bacon, Mick Barney, Aaron Bennett, Crystal Bishop, Linda Blais, Nick Brown, Kyle Converse, Dianna Dakin, Phil Deur, Bob and Bonnie Erber, Ryan Ergang, Jim Featherstone;Karla Gilliland, Mick Hanna, Bing Hanson, Phil Harmon, Sarah Haselschwardt, Matt Hendrie, Margaret Hillary, John Hruby, Chris and Denise Hudson, Rhonita Kaastra, Matthew Kempf, Denise McDaniel;Bob McGraw, Emily Paige, Candee Parkhurst, Mary Pekel, Michele Ribant, Tom Schuiteman, Scott Sherman, Rebel Smith, Warren Stroven, Allen VanBoven, Steven Vissia, Richard Webb, Debra Wightman, Ed Wosniski, and Tim and Pam Zuchowski.
We plan to place the drawings of the new high school in public places around the community by early February.
Our next step is to prepare and let the bid documents for construction, which should take place in March. I should mention that the Board of Education has earmarked at least $1.5 million of the expected $40 million project for local contractors.
Jim Hieftje
Interim Superintendent
Fremont Public School News