Since construction began at Crown Point High School, adjusting to the new school set up has had its ups and downs. It seems like there’s a construction worker at every turn and the sounds of drilling and sawing at the back of every classroom.
Despite the challenges, things seem to be taking a turn for the better. “We think the construction at CPHS is going very well. We are on schedule to be completed with all work at the end of the summer of 2024. Our team of architects, engineers, management team, and contractors in coordination with our own Crown Point Maintenance and Custodial staff have worked diligently to provide a state of the art learning campus,” Director of Building and Grounds Mike Malaski said.
It hasn’t always been perfect, but with the right motivation our construction team has pulled through every time. “There is always adversity in construction projects, but when you have a team of people all rowing the boat in the same direction with the same core value of putting kids first to meet deadlines and providing safe learning environments, the roadblocks are easy to go around,” Malaski said. Teachers seem to be impressed with their new rooms in the H-wing. “I really enjoy my new classroom. I am starting to get a feel for the new layout and how I can use it to create new student activities and update my current activities,” science teacher Rhonda Waters said.
It seems as though construction hasn’t put up a barrier in helping students learn. “It very rarely disrupts learning. Occasionally, we may hear a drill or saw, but it does not affect our ability to learn,” science teacher Timothy Klamo said.
The construction is not only in the academic wing of the school. The cafeteria was also expanded in order to fit more students and create a larger environment. In the athletic wing, a new weight room was built that is now larger, including better equipment. “I like it. It has more space and there’s way more equipment,” sophomore Kaiden Rhodes said.
While construction of the actual classrooms isn’t completely finished, workers continue to make sure to respect the learning process and to not interfere with class, which is not always easy to do in a large school.
“Thankfully the workers are trying not to interrupt class by working in our rooms before school and on our prep periods,” Waters said.
According to the Department of Education, some benefits of school construction include energy savings, safer and healthier environments for students, and better learning outcomes.
“Managing a project like this has been a true blessing for me and our team. If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” Malaski said.
