The main hallway on the school’s first floor is going under construction starting at the beginning of winter break. This construction will completely transform this area for the new middle school that begins at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
The construction is expected to be completed in June of 2025, which means no classes will be held in the main hallway during the second semester. The first-floor new wing will be unaffected except for Room 115 (Sr. Cabrera), which will become a STEM lab with outside access for a middle school activity space.
The spaces inside and around the current admissions office will be transformed into high school and middle school administrators’ offices as well as a middle school version of the current Emerson lobby with soft seating, a television, and an electric fireplace.
Also added to the main hallway will be an all-new inclusion room, which will be modified to support life-skills with a washer, dryer, fridge, and dishwasher. Moving in close to them will be the high school and middle school learning centers, a new faculty room, a new vocal music room, and a new music production lab. The current music room will be revamped into a middle-school assembly space that anybody can use after school hours.
The current maintenance closet by the weight room will be transformed into a modern-looking team locker room. Right next to that, where the current athletic director’s office is, will be transformed into a middle school esports room.
High school students will only be allowed to enter school through the Emerson entrance, while middle school students must come in through the Ballas entrance. Emerson lobby will also house the new admissions center. This will not affect the student lounge space.
The relocation of second-floor spaces like the inclusion center, learning center, and student council ensures there are enough classrooms for the high school after the middle school takes the first floor. Those rooms, along with the classrooms in that hallway, will receive minor renovations, including new carpet, technology, and furniture. Those changes will take place during the summer.
The last big renovation is happening in room 210. This will become a high school entrepreneurship center for guys working on launching businesses. This project will take place during winter break or during spring break.
“High school students are not being forgotten,” Poelker said. “Everybody is getting something out of it, and I think it should be a really exciting time for all of our students.”
