Some big changes are coming for schools in Chatham, including millions of dollars in upgrades to a high school starting next year.
According to Brian McKay, superintendent of business for the Lambton-Kent District School Board (LKDSB), Chatham-Kent Secondary School is in need of a face lift to keep up with the current trends of education. At the last LKDSB meeting an $18 million revisioning design for the school was reviewed with trustees. McKay said it is a "phase plan" to be completed over the next five to eight years.
"We would modernize the learning spaces and open up some of the interior areas of the school," McKay said. "It really helps for collaboration and engagement between our students."
According to McKay, the phase construction process would include a new cafeteria, theatre, learning commons, fitness room, and a new outdoor courtyard for special needs students. He said the first phase could start as early as next spring and would begin with the new cafeteria. McKay said the plan is to expand the front of the school and turn it not only into a new cafeteria, but a multipurpose learning space.
"What we are seeing in newer buildings is the cafeteria is a space being used throughout the school day," McKay said. "It's not just a space used for lunch anymore. It's a space used to collaborate with students from other classes. we call it a 'student highway' in the school where it is used from the start of the day right to the end for learning opportunities, as well as the standard lunch you and I would remember."
According to McKay, education has changed from 50 years ago when students and staff were designated to one room for the whole day. He said open spaces and natural lighting are becoming more important in today's education system as facilities with those features see higher student success.
McKay added the current cafeteria can barely handle half the student population, which is why the new area has been made a top priority. While working on the new cafeteria inside the school, McKay said the board decided to give the outside a facelift.
"Why put all that into the building and keep the same look outside?" McKay said. "We're there, we can do it, it's not going to take a lot of extra work. When we take the front off it won't just be replacing it like for like. We are actually moving the building outwards so we're expanding the front of the school."
McKay said along with creating space for the new cafeteria, it will allow for larger administrative areas, which will all be placed together. He added the current cafeteria will be transformed into the new theatre.
Also at the board meeting, concerns from parents and guardians regarding the air conditioning situation at Tecumseh Public School in Chatham were brought up.
McKay said the elementary school is one of the few in the district with a second floor and there is no AC available upstairs. He added roughly 50 per cent of schools in the district don't have air conditioning available in parts or all of the facilities, but Tecumseh is a top priority to get full service.
The superintendent said in order to give the whole building full AC access, classrooms have to be shut down and it is a job that can only be done during the summer. He added the work will be completed for the beginning of the 2019 school year.