Phase 2 of the Pleasant Plains High School Additions and Remodel serves as an extension of the Phase 1 project, completed in 2012. The second phase completes the expansion of the high school into a 600-student school.
The newest additions house a band and chorus room with a central media center. Seven general purpose classrooms were constructed around a modern information commons space. Three small-group rooms anchor the collaborative learning space or what we call a “collaboratory.” Fully modern science and art rooms complete the east addition and create a new face to the existing building. Existing interior classrooms have been remodeled into faculty and student workrooms, a career and guidance center, and administrative offices.
A new administrative entrance and addition on the West end of the existing building completes the project. This West addition creates a new entry point for the high school and houses two additional special education classrooms.
Unsure of whether to remodel their historic middle school, build new on the existing site near their current high school, or build new on a different site, the Maroa-Forsyth School District reached out to get community input via BLDD's community engagement process.
Through renovations and an addition to a 1950s-era building on a tight city footprint, an engaging, innovative and inviting high school, focused on providing modern facilities to support digital learning, academic achievement and fine arts and athletic excellence was developed. While the student population was highly achieving, the existing school did not reflect the student merit.
The Community Engagement Planning Process with Meridian CUSD #15 resulted in a clear direction, to reduce the number of campuses from four to two and concentrate resources to make these remaining two campuses healthy, safe, and educationally relevant.