As discussions for renovating the site began, administrators decided to consolidate the district’s two high schools under one roof. This renovation and new addition project turned into an opportunity to not only unify an outdated and disconnected school building, but also bring unification to a student body and community.
The renovation created an opportunity to open new collaboration spaces for students and educators. Future-focused spaces like the Information Commons offer students the ability to check out a variety of media in a flexible and comfortable environment. A section of the first and second stories was taken out to create the STEM zone—allowing those in STEM classes to break out of their academic silos and allow for more cross-curricular collaboration. Along with science and math classes, there are open spaces for robotics and engineering courses.
Flexible furniture was added so that students can reconfigure layouts for group work. The amount of furniture was minimized to meet current classroom ratios, as small-class sizes are a draw and point of pride for the district.
- New Auditorium
- New Secondary Multipurpose Practice Gymnasium
- On-Campus Weight Room
- STEM Wing and Collaboration Spaces
- Secure Entry
- Environmental Branding
The district had two outdated and disconnected high schools.
By combining the two high schools and renovating the commons to be the heart of the school, the student body and community were reconnected.
Environmental graphics showcase the district’s core values and mission statement.
The iconic mascot and colors are featured throughout the building.
To connect with the past, graphics are used to chronicle history with images of various high schools built throughout the county.
Mattoon school district's LIFT (Leaders Innovating for Tomorrow) houses a regional innovation center for the surrounding 28 school districts in the area.
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.
The district spent four years working with the community and staff to plan for an expansion and renovation with the goal of meeting the needs of growing enrollment and providing future-focused learning opportunities to students.