Hillsdale school officials have begun to work with architects, engineers and financial advisors to put details into a transition plan. Education and safety are top priorities during the 30-month process of establishing a modular campus, renovating GW’s interior, rebuilding its Cafetorium, building a small addition, and removing the trailers.

• Spring 2025: While students are still using GW for instruction, preparations could begin at the field area for the installation of modular classrooms.

• September 2025: The school year would begin at the modular campus; the school would be shut down except, ideally, the gym. Renovations would begin inside GW.

• September 2027: This is the target for the opening of a new era for the GW and the Hillsdale community. As a new school year begins in a modernized middle school, modular classrooms would be sent back to the manufacturer to be refurbished for the next district in need.

• September 2028: This is the target for re-created athletic fields to be ready for use by Physical Education activities and student-athletes.

Construction firms that regularly work in/around school settings are accustomed to scheduling work around the academic schedule when possible. For Hillsdale:

Materials used in some areas of GW contain asbestos that must be handled according to strict safety protocols and by personnel who are properly trained, licensed and protected. State and federal laws outline this process and require a third-party monitoring firm for monitoring and inspection.

Noise is part of construction, and it is the most noticeable when it involves breaking through an exterior wall. That will be a small part of GW’s renovation. Most work will be inside the existing walls of the school, and those walls will contain a significant amount of noise.

Forecast of Experiences by Class

In the 2024/25 school year: 8th grade is the GW graduating Class of 2025. 7th grade is the GW Class of 2026. 6th grade is Class of 2027. 5th grade is the Class of 2028. 4th grade is the Class of 2029. 3rd grade is the Class of 2030. 2nd grade is the Class of 2031.

• Class of 2025: At GW for 8th grade; the last graduating class from GW’s pre-renovation, pre-modular campus era. 

• Class of 2026: At GW for 7th grade; at GW modular campus for 8th grade; the first graduating class from GW’s modular campus. 

• Class of 2027: At GW for 6th grade; at GW modular campus for 7th and 8th grades; the last graduating class from GW’s first 105 years. 

• Class of 2028: At GW for 5th grade; at GW modular campus for 6th and 7th grades; the first 8th grade class in the newly modernized middle school. 

• Class of 2029: At elementary school through 5th grade in 2025-26; at GW modular campus for 6th grade; the first 7th grade class in the newly modernized middle school. 

• Class of 2030: At elementary school through 5th grade in 2026-27; the first 6th grade class in the newly modernized middle school. 

• Class of 2031: At elementary school through 4th grade in 2026-27 before progressing to a newly modernized middle school. This would be the first class to return to Hillsdale’s traditional course of advancing to GW as fifth graders.