Phase one of construction at Clinton High School is complete

CLINTON, Iowa (KWQC) - Phase one of a three phase renovation has been completed at Clinton High School. After 18 months students and faculty began using the three story academic building this week.

The idea of this building is to give students less of a feel of school and more of a feel of workplace. The school held and opening ceremony on Saturday inviting the community to tour the addition.

Superintendent Gary DeLacy says plans for the renovation stem back to three years ago with the remodel of other buildings in the community.

“We started with elementary buildings being remodeled,” DeLacy said. “Then the middle school, the high school has been the last step.”

The community toured the new addition, and DeLacy says, some might notice it has a different feel to it.

“They’re going to see that hallways don’t have lockers lining both sides of the hallway,” DeLacy said. “They’re going to see lots of natural light, which supports the research that way, people in the workplace are more productive with natural light areas than they do with illuminated lights.”

High School Principal Theresa Shultz says students and staff are thrilled about the change.

“Our kids are excited, our staff are excited,” Shultz said. “The amount of light that is in this building has just been tremendous to have a fresh start here in the month of March, and we’re looking really forward to finishing the school year strong and seeing the next phases of construction.”

Students say they are adjusting well to the upgrade.

“It’s been a great experience, you know, it’s been, there’s a lot new to see, a lot new to experience,” Brian Unke, 11th grade student said. “New environments for different teachers to kind of get used to and different, and for the students as well to have a new place to learn.”

With phase one almost complete, its on to phase two.

“Phase two, we are starting demo of the 1919 building that had all of our old classes in it and it will have a brand-new theater space in the middle of phase two,” Shultz said. “With our career and technical education wing and then our music department will have all new spaces as well.”

DeLacy says this is just the beginning.

“This is just the first of three phases,” DeLacy said. It’s a major phase of the three, but I think now that people are gonna start to see some of the fruits of this initiative, we’re very excited to show this building off today.”

This entire project is slated to be completed by 2025.

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