What is Happening at MHS?

By Ella Ceelen

When Indian Mound Middle School students started the new school year in September, they were welcomed back to a very different building. Even MHS students are aware and curious about the ongoing renovation up the hill. The sidewalk redirection, the paint fumes, machinery noises, and the large dirt mound by the baseball fields are all points of interest that contribute to the larger question many people are asking: what is going on?

Background Information:

“What became the facilities referendum started with a petition from the community in March of 2013,” says Superintendent Andrew Bridell, “We had about 400 community members sign a petition, and they delivered it to the school board, asking the school board to do a comprehensive review of all of the district’s facilities.”

Over the next four years, the initial petition went through numerous reworkings, and had help from community members, the school board, and the administrative board, before a draft facilities plan was reached. This draft was sent out to the community, looking for the approval before advancing the process further. When the results of the survey came in, the school board settled on a final facilities plan that became the $65 million referendum, which was voted on and passed by our community with a ⅔ majority.

However, the passage of the referendum did not mean the work was over. Because the entire district can not be under construction at once, a phased schedule had to be made to manage time. The elementary and middle school were decided upon as the first priorities.

Athletic Facilities Renovations:

For twenty years, the McFarland school district has owned a 3 ½ acre site at the corner of Holscher and Country Road MN. This empty lot will be transformed into baseball fields to replace the one lost. Similarly to the school pool, the high school pool, the high school track doubles as the community track. Many years of extra usage have led to a track surface that needs to be torn up and repaved. This will be taken care of by the referendum.

Even more so than the pool or track, the field in the center of the track has the heaviest load to bear. Not only is it used by the football and soccer teams, but by track, cross country, gym class; and marching band as well. MHS hopes to host WIAA events on the field has to meet certain specifications.

“Originally, we were going to [have] a large practice field behind the high school, but when we got into the planning in more detail we learned we had to have more reserved for stormwater management, which meant we couldn’t do as large of a practice field in the back as we thought we could,” says Mr. Briddell. Because of this, the game field will have to double as a practice field, and the surface will have to be durable to withstand such increased usage. Therefore, turf seems like the most practical answer. “[It] is most likely going to happen, but we haven’t finished the plans for [the turf yet,” Mr. Briddell concluded.

Renovations at the Highschool:

Here at MHS, there are a lot of projects waiting to begin. First on the docket is a large expansion of the Tech. Ed. area. McFarland’s Tech. Ed. program has grown considerably in size since the area was first built. MHS is one of the few high schools in Dane County that has such an expansive offering of Tech. Ed. classes, which includes all of the traditional building trades a nationally certified auto-tech program, as well as Project Lead the Way engineering courses, and Spartan Manufacturing. A second story will be added above the district offices to make up for lost space during the Tech. Ed. expansion.

As for the largest (and most highly anticipated) renovations, the school will be getting a brand new pol and auditorium. The school pool and auditorium have been in need of serious upgrades for some time, both being 40 years old and out of date. The seating in the auditorium is pretty small, and the pool is only 6 lanes. Building a pool today, a minimum of eight lanes would be expected, if not more. Because the high school serves double duty as the community pool, it suffers a lot of extra wear and tear. Through the referendum, our pool will be upgraded so it can run eight lanes in one direction or ten lanes in another, depending on the stringing of the lane lines. As for searing, expect an upstairs mezzanine, which will create ample desk space perfect for hosting swim meets.

Minimal locker space is a current limitation, so additional locker space will be added for the community and the swim teams use.

“I am so excited for the new pool,” said sophomore swimmer Ella Weaver, “Not only will it give our team a better space to practice in, it will be much more functionable... it’s going to be one amazing pool [and] I can’t wait to swim in it.”

The school pool and auditorium will still be adjacent, as all expansions will be built off the back of the high school. Our current auditorium is comprised of 381 seats, but the renovated auditorium will hold 850 seats. This will allow the entire student body and staff to use the auditorium for assemblies and programs in lieu of the gym. “I feel like the new auditorium will be such a significant improvement, not only to the drama department but within the community - bringing people together for a love of music, stories, and adventures,” said sophomore Callie Korth, who has participated in two MHS productions so far.

Currently, for community members to attend an event in the auditorium, they have to weave their way through the hallways to the back of the high school. While the auditorium will still be accessible that way, there will be main floor access via a small parking lot behind the school, which will cover the baseball field. Fortunately, the referendum provides a solution.

Renovations at IMMS & Primary School:

Many MHS students can recall their days at Conrad Elvehjem Kindergarten, or the Primary School next door. However, in a few years, those buildings will be unrecognizable. The elementary campus is being combined into one building, with the addition placed on Conrad Elvehjem. The primary school will be knocked down and become green space.

Both the middle school and the elementary school have inconvenient floor plans, that are ill suited for a growing student population. At Indian Mound Middle School, the population has grown by over 100 students since the 2007-08 school year, and it is projected to continue growing for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years. Therefore the undersized triangular shaped classrooms of IMMS are a significant issue. Under the referendum, all undersized classrooms will be expanded by roughly 30% and given an extra wall. When asked what he was looking forward to most regarding the construction, 7th grader Nathan Kuehl said, “That the classrooms will be square and not weird shaped.”

While each grade will still have a separate corridor, these areas will be expanded, along with the gym. However, construction will not commence until next spring or summer. The elementary and middle school renovations will be completed in time for school to start next September.

The middle school already has two additions in progress, one on the north end and one on the east, which have altered daily routines. “The playground has gotten smaller, so we can’t do too many things,” says Kuehl. The playground has shifted down the hill next to the track, and a new blacktop for basketball and four-square has been built. Despite the changes, many middle schoolers are excited and hopeful about the construction. “I thought the construction sounded good, because I think this school needs a good remodel,” says 7th grader Brady Baek, when asked to describe his initial reaction to the IMMS renovation. “An extra area to the school is actually really nice.”

The projects at MHS will start late in the spring of 2018, and into the summer. By next school year, our school will be under heave construction, while the 2019-20 school year will see the renovations wrapped up. Across the school district, outdated buildings will be knocked down and additions built, bringing welcome change for younger MSD students. Though current juniors and seniors will graduate before all renovations are completed, it will be exciting to witness construction; as it will be for sophomores, freshmen, and all future students to experience MHS change for the better.