Construction crews completed elevator work at several HSD elementary schools earlier this year. The above images show work that took place at Brown, Jana, Lawson, McCurdy and McNair elementary schools. The top two photographs show heating, ventilation and air-conditioning work that took place at Walker and Townsend elementary schools.
High School Design Plans
Work on all three high schools is slated to begin this spring. Above are the conceptual designs, which include a new cross-connecting corridor at Hazelwood Central High (top), new libraries and main entry plazas at Hazelwood East (middle) and Hazelwood West high schools, (bottom).
Hazelwood high schools to receive new libraries, STEM labs as Proposition H work continue
The Hazelwood School District Board of Education recently approved the schematic designs for upgrades at all three high schools as part of Proposition H.
Proposition H is a $120 million, no-tax-rate-increase bond issue for facility updates passed by District voters in November 2010. Work is scheduled to begin in April at Hazelwood Central and Hazelwood East high schools and in May at Hazelwood West High School.
“Overall, the construction at the high schools is significant in that it will bring the libraries at Hazelwood East and Hazelwood West up to Missouri standards,” said Tom Mangogna, construction project manager. “In addition, it brings all three high schools up-to-date with science and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) labs. That’s very important based on what students are able to learn.”
At Hazelwood Central High, a 23,000 square-foot science lab addition is planned, along with a 60,000 square-foot major building renovation. The school’s main office will be reconfigured for better public access and to consolidate its functions. Halls B, C and D will be linked together to improve building safety, security and to improve passing period times.
“We are linking those halls so people don’t have to make the long trip around to get from one hall or wing to another,” said Mangogna.
Other improvements include replacing folding partitions and accordion walls with permanent walls, fire alarm upgrades and upgraded classroom power and data infrastructure. There will also be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance with regard to the swimming pool, physical education lockers and showers. There will also be general improvements such as new floor tile in the commons, repainted walls, ceilings and hallway lockers.
At Hazelwood East High, there will be a 16,000 square-foot library addition on the ground floor at the front of the building and adjacent to the auditorium. The current library space will be converted to additional classrooms and offices for the guidance department. There will be new STEM studios, health occupation, Project Lead the Way and home repair classrooms.
A 7,500 square-foot auxiliary gymnasium will be added plus additional locker rooms on the building’s northeast corner. The school’s exterior front will be revamped with a new center entry plaza and vehicular drop-off area, new main office and new clinic area. There will be ADA elevator access to all floors in the north wing as well as ADA access to the fine arts wing, auditorium and gymnasium. Hallway lockers, walls and ceilings in the north wing will receive fresh coats of paint and remaining chalkboards will be replaced by markerboards.
At Hazelwood West High, construction includes a 53,000 square-foot building addition and 100,000-square foot major building renovation. There will be a new main entry plaza and entrance, a grouped science/STEM Studio, a pool lift as part of ADA requirements, fire alarm modernization and newly painted hallway lockers, corridors and other areas. In the STEM studio concept, the lower level will feature physics and engineering classrooms, the first floor will have chemistry and physics classrooms while the second floor will feature biology and health occupations classes.
A new library will be added at the front of the building on the first floor. The current library space will become classrooms. Other features will include a relocated main office, a central elevator, a central staircase, access to visual/performing arts level, controlled after-hour access and more.
“There will be easier student traffic flows in all of the high schools, people will get from one place another more easily,” said Mangogna.
Weather permitting, construction at Hazelwood Central High is expected to compete in the summer of 2013 while the work at Hazelwood East and Hazelwood West high schools is scheduled to finish by the summer of 2014.
Additional Prop H news stories
Proposition H work continues with elevator installations at nine elementary schools
Elevator construction is on the rise at nine Hazelwood elementary schools as Proposition H work continues.
Proposition H is a $120 million, no-tax-rate-increase bond issue for facility updates passed by District voters in November 2010. Tom Mangogna, the District’s construction project manager, said elevator construction at Townsend and Walker is slated to finish by mid-October. Starting in early October, construction crews will begin building elevators at Armstrong, Brown, Cold Water, Jana, Lawson, McCurdy and McNair elementary schools, with construction planned to finish by winter break, depending on the weather.
“I’m very happy with the work done so far,” said Mangogna.
This summer, Prop H renovation work began at five elementary schools – Barrington, Cold Water, Garrett, Townsend and Walker. At Barrington, chalkboards were removed and replaced with marker boards. In addition, Cold Water and Garrett underwent chalkboard and asbestos floor tile removal, and markerboards were installed. At Townsend and Walker, the District removed old heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and replaced them with new systems. Townsend and Walker also received new data and voice lines for computers and telephones and older parts of the buildings’ fire alarm systems were replaced to match those added during an earlier construction phase.
“They did a good job and they did it in record time,” said Mangogna of the construction crews, who started in mid-June and finished the work six weeks later.
“Our classrooms are so much brighter with the new white boards and floors,” said Dr. Christa Warner, Cold Water’s principal.
“I like using the dry erase markers because of the variety of colors that are available,” said Jan Haffer, the general music teacher at Garrett Elementary. “Using multiple colors works well in showing comparisons and contrasts. Students and teachers are having fun with them.”
“The new floors look great. They really brighten up the rooms,” said Garrett Elementary second-grade teacher Toni Grimes. “The white boards are nice because they make it really easy to color code things or highlight specific information for students.”
Proposition H marks the third phase of Hazelwood 1st, a public engagement process involving District parents, community and business leaders that began in 2003. During a series of community meetings last year, Hazelwood 1st parents, patrons and other community members determined what should be done for the third phase.
Mangogna said that other projects funded by the bond issue, such as new libraries at Hazelwood East and Hazelwood West high schools, and new science, technology, engineering and math labs (STEM labs) at all three high schools, are projected to begin next spring.
Community passes Proposition H by more than 75 percent of vote
On Election Day 2010, more than 75 percent of voters in the Hazelwood School District approved the passage of Proposition H, a no-tax-rate-increase bond issue requesting $120 million for facility updates.
“We are excited that our community overwhelmingly supported Proposition H, which will provide much-needed updates to our schools while putting many people back to work,” said Dr. Steve Price, district superintendent.
“Proposition H is a $120 million investment in our schools, students and community. Our next step is to develop a plan and timeline for the facilities updates we have promised to our community.”