Published: Jan. 23, 2019
KML expansion project gets thumbs up from school’s board
Groundbreaking slated to happen by March 1,
be ready for fall
By Nicholas Dettmann
ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043
TOWN OF JACKSON — It’s official. Shovels will
dig into the dirt at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School and new classrooms
will await staff and students in the fall.
KML Superintendent David Bartelt said Tuesday
the six-month fundraising project to expand the high school to include 11 new
classrooms got unanimous approval from its board Monday night as enough funds
were raised to get at least a part of the project started on time to help
address a vital need.
“It’s a tremendous relief,” Bartelt said
Tuesday. “An even greater thankfulness that we’re able to be in this position.”
Bartelt broke the good news to staff Tuesday
morning at a faculty meeting. The staff was excited, especially the science
teachers.
The expansion, which will be an addition onto
the southwest corner of the school building, will include four new science
classrooms/labs, as well as seven general classrooms geared toward a different
learning model.
Bartelt said in November those classrooms won’t
be the traditional straight rows of desks. Instead, they’ll include soft
furniture to allow for group discussions, focusing on critical thinking,
collaboration, communication and creativity. Those classrooms will be on the
first floor.
The four new science classrooms will be on the
second floor.
Bartelt said the board voted to break ground
on the project as soon as possible. The target for that is by March 1. However,
Catalyst Construction will make its way onto the campus by mid-February for
prep work.
Catalyst Construction, based in Milwaukee,
will do the construction and Xcel Engineering, based in Appleton, is handling
the design, which Bartelt said has already been approved.
Catalyst Construction already has a solid
relationship with KML as it was the company that built the performing arts
center.
He said the two companies have a strong working
relationship and have done several other projects, including schools.
As of Monday, $4.125 million of the $4.7
million project has been raised, which was good enough to at least start work
on the four science labs. The first-floor classrooms will be completed when the
remaining $600,000-plus is raised.
The emphasis is being made on the science labs
because that is the subject in dire need of space enhancements. The need is
there because of faster-than- anticipated enrollment growth. According to the
school’s website, KML’s enrollment, in 2015, was 402. In 2016, it increased to
447. For the 2018-19 school year, enrollment is 490. Projected enrollment for
2021 is 530. When completed, KML will have enough room for about 600 students.
“They’ll have new stateof- the-art science labs
next year,” Bartelt said of the science teachers’ reactions. “They’re really
happy to grow their curriculum and programs.”
Fundraising for the expansion started about six
months ago. How quickly KML supporters stepped up was impressive.
“It says a lot because we had more people
respond to this than we ever have before,” Bartelt said. “They’re excited about
the growing ministry and Kettle Moraine Lutheran school and are happy to be a
part of it and they don’t want to slow down.”
There is another project in the vision for KML
leaders — Phase 2.
Phase 2 would be an addition on the northwest
side of the school building near the varsity soccer field. The timeline on that
is unknown.
But, the addition will look to improve the
fitness center at the school, which would include new weight room equipment and
a third gymnasium. That addition could also open up an option for KML to offer
an additional boys sport in the winter, such as wrestling. The idea of
installing a pool is not out of the question either.
Bartelt said those ideas are still being
explored.
No comments:
Post a Comment