Surrounded by chain link construction fences, work on additions and renovations to Princeton High School, Princeton Middle School and the Community Park and Littlebrook elementary schools is under way.
The projects are being funded by a voter-approved $89.1 million bond referendum. School district officials said the bond referendum, which was approved earlier this year, is needed to accommodate increased student enrollment.
At Princeton High School, interior demolition is in progress. Interior metal framing for new walls has begun, and plumbing has been roughed in.
The technology department, which is housed at PHS, is being converted into additional student instruction spaces. Upgrades are being made to the Numina Art Gallery, which doubles as instructional and presentation space.
Across Walnut Lane at the Princeton Middle School, additions will be made to the front and rear of the building.
The concrete walkways in front of PMS have been removed and the topsoil has been stripped away. This will allow for the utility lines and building foundation to be installed. The parking lot behind the middle school has been milled.
Plans for PMS call for two new classrooms, three new flex spaces and two new science labs. A multipurpose room with space for assemblies, physical education and indoor recess is included. It will be available to the community after school hours.
There will be expansions to the vocal music and band rooms, as well as to the cafeteria and kitchen.
The main office is being expanded and the school district’s technology office is being relocated from PHS to PMS.
At the Community Park School, the first-floor kindergarten classrooms have been cleared out. The courtyard and playground behind the existing kindergarten classrooms have been completely cleared away. The area has been graded for new concrete pads for the new additions.
The expansion includes six new classrooms, four small-group instruction rooms and two flexible learning spaces that could be adjusted for programming needs.
The cafeteria is being expanded, as well as a new, larger gym/multipurpose room. A larger music room and library are included in the expansion.
The expansion is needed to maintain the dual language immersion (DLI) program and to also provide a traditional English language-only track.
Students are taught 50/50 in Spanish and English in the DLI program. Math, science, Spanish language arts and culture are taught in Spanish. Language arts, social studies, physical education, music and library are taught in English.
Across town at the Littlebrook School, the parking lot has been milled and the existing play set has been removed from the rear of the building. The large addition area has been excavated to allow for work on the building pad and the utilities and footings to begin.
The expansion and renovations to the Littlebrook School include six new classrooms, two small-group instruction rooms and a new vocal music room. Renovations are on tap for the student support service areas, as well as the kitchen.
