MODERNIZING the MIDDLE SCHOOL

George G. White Middle School to be Renovated and Expanded

On September 17, 2024, voters approved both ballot questions to renovate and expand George G. White Middle School.

The Hillsdale Board of Education will move ahead with critical repairs needed to modernize the 100-year-old school and to add Instructional space that will be important for future enrollment and teaching opportunities. After years of planning, we are excited to begin that process and we pledge to create a smooth transition period as we embark on this journey together.

A New Look for Old George G. White Middle School

This concept drawing shows:

Improved security at a more defined main entrance that has no-step access
More efficient windows and roofing replacements to stop leaks
Reconfigured frontage along Magnolia Avenue with 30-35 additional parking spaces

It also includes:

A new, two-story wing with six classrooms to provide more instructional space
Complete replacement of old, failing HVAC systems
Restrooms that work properly and meet accessibility standards
Rebuilt Cafetorium
Updated science labs, ceilings, flooring, walls, electrical systems and more

Prioritizing Academics and Safety

The large-scale renovation of George G. White Middle School will require a careful eye on scheduling, a willingness to be flexible, and an appreciation for everyone’s varied points of view. It will also require trust as the approved referendum leads to next-level planning. Administrators are listening to concerns and exploring options that prioritize the quality of academic programming and the safety of our students.

These are some of the challenges under discussion:

Continuing academics that chart a course for success
Safety throughout the entire GW campus
Space to provide a complete student experience
Maximizing Meadowbrook and Smith schools
The look and locations of modular classrooms
Construction timeline and precautions

Alongside the “unknowns” of the future, these known factors will be part of a smooth transition from the century-old GW building to a modernized middle school:

Teachers are likely to be the same staff members who would lead the instructional program. Some staffing changes happen year to year, but the transition from the old classrooms to modular settings is not a driver of those decisions.
Security is optimal when there are limited access points from a perimeter. The building has that now, and the proposed use of modular classrooms will have that, too.
Restrooms in modular classrooms will be more modern, more accessible and less likely to close for repairs than the school’s existing restrooms.
Climate control in modular classrooms will be an advancement over the various hot and cold spots left by GW’s antiquated heating system and patchwork of air conditioning window units.

MODULARS: LOOK and LOCATION

Hillsdale Public Schools will lease a collection of modular classrooms during the transformation of old GW to a modernized middle school. This is a common practice for school districts that requires facilities that are more temporary than bricks-and-mortar construction. Waldwick School District used them during a major renovation of its high school.

The plan calls for 26 modulars to be positioned on the current GW baseball fields.

Modulars will be clustered to replicate the current experience of grade-level hallways.
Each grade’s classrooms will be near each other, creating hubs. Each classroom can serve up to 25 students.
Raised, aluminum walkways with handrails will connect classrooms.
One modular will contain separate, multi-stall restrooms for each gender.
Two rooms will be designated for administrative functions and student support services, including the school nurse.
The site plan designates rooms for art, music, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); a media center; and specialized instruction at each grade level for small groups of students.

The district has budgeted for the rental of refurbished, rather than new, modular units.

Because so many schools use these temporary classrooms, manufacturers routinely take them back, thoroughly clean and reset them, and lease them to another customer.
Modulars will be brought in on trailers, positioned atop concrete piers and securely tied down to protect against movement from wind. Metal skirting will close the gap (of about 2.5 feet) between each modular’s floor and the ground. Modulars are subject to state inspection.
Each modular classroom will have a heating, cooling, and ventilation system, and each will be connected to a power supply. Not all will have plumbing connections, as that would raise costs and duplicate the nearby restroom modular unit.
A major electrical feed will provide power for the same kinds of communications systems in place in the building, such as telephone service, fire alarm network and schedule bells. Office space will be limited to the functions that need to be near students.
Other staff members will share space at the district’s Anthony S. DeNorchia Administration Building or other schools.

CONTINUING ACADEMICS

The Hillsdale School District takes seriously its mission to chart a course for success. Renovating GW is part of that, and even the students who are most affected by the transition from old to modern deserve a high-quality education.

For years, our staff members have worked within the challenges of a century-old school. With voter approval to fund an overhaul of GW, they will work within a modular classroom campus to meet student needs.

The transition plan does not focus on a reduction in the number of teachers or the combination of positions as a money-saving measure. Rather than teaching fifth graders at GW, the same teachers are likely to work with those students at Meadowbrook or Smith elementary schools.
Space-saving steps may take place during the transition time that maximizes the district’s resources. For instance, a “special” such as Spanish may happen in the same classroom as English Language Arts – although at different times.

The act of teaching may happen in a different area, but the teaching staff will continue to engage students in the learning process no matter what the walls look like or where they are.

SAFETY and SECURITY

The existing fence that surrounds school property will remain in place and likely be enhanced, with modular classrooms positioned inside that secure perimeter. Entry and exit points will be limited – just like they are for the physical building.

Plans call for lighting around school grounds as another layer of safety. Special Law Enforcement Officers (SLEOs) would walk through the area regularly.

Just as teachers currently are stationed in hallways as a layer of safety in GW, they will do that around the modular campus to monitor as students go to the office, visit the school nurse, or use the restrooms.

Simply put: The same security measures that are in place for the school building (defined perimeter, controlled access, staff awareness/observations) will be in place for the widened area of the school’s campus.

MAXIMIZING OTHER SCHOOLS

During the transition period, fifth grade students will remain at Meadowbrook and Smith elementary schools instead of progressing to GW. This is a key part of the plan to reduce the need for more modular classrooms and tighter gym scheduling while GW is being renovated; GW will have about three-quarters of its typical population.

Each elementary school will likely have a modular classroom for support services such as speech therapy, Basic Skills, or other programming that focuses on small numbers of students for short periods of time. Instruction of full-size classes will remain in the main building.

At Meadowbrook: A modular classroom may be located behind the kindergarten wing.
At Smith: A modular classroom may be located on either side of the school.

Decisions about modular needs and locations for the elementary schools will come later, when district officials and advisors have more information about student count and site capability. Maintaining school access for students and staff will be a factor in those decisions.

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