2017 Bond Updates
In 2017, the Avondale community approved a $30.7 million bond proposal that provided funds to support necessary updates and improvements in all our schools.
Expenditures of that bond included replacement of boilers, HVAC, and lighting with more efficient and cost-effective equipment that saves the district money and results in significant savings to our operating budget. Installation of secured entryways at each of our buildings as well as the purchase of an enhanced security camera system and upgrades to technology were a priority of the 2017 Bond Proposal. Across the district, the bond also provided opportunity to reconfigure and replace parking lots (including making site improvements), replace carpeting and flooring, and install interior and exterior signage.
On time and under budget!
Though much of the money realized from the passage of the 2017 bond went to items considered operational and necessary and not necessarily exciting to the students, we were able to make several updates and renovations that enrich the teaching and learning experience for our students and staff.
We remodeled the media centers at each of our elementary schools and Avondale Meadows to make the space more conducive to small and large group collaborative work while maintaining the traditional feel of a school library. The students are enjoying the new media centers and the much-needed replacement furniture featuring both traditional and flexible seating. Likewise, the students are enjoying new playground equipment installed at each elementary school and Avondale Meadows.
A major renovation to the floorplan at Deerfield Elementary was necessary to move the main office, the principal’s office, and conference rooms to the front of the building in order to align with the district’s plan for safe and secure schools. Prior to the renovation, the main office area was located in the center of the building – not unusual for schools built in the 1990s – but not conducive to best practices when prioritizing safety as schools do today.
In addition to the office area being located at the front of the building for safety, it makes it possible for the school to receive deliveries and guests with minimal disruption to the flow of teaching and learning throughout the school. (Prior to relocating the main office, deliveries and guests would travel through the building to get to the main office.)
The space that the main office area occupied previously was renovated into an Art room. Some of the space was also used to update and enlarge one of the boys’ restrooms.
Similarly, the main office at Avondale Middle School was relocated to make it closer to the main entrance of the school. With minor remodeling, the guidance office now occupies the space that formerly housed the main office. Updates to the middle school media center resulted in a space that is easy to reconfigure to accommodate activities scaled from small groups to very large groups of two or three classes at once. The locker rooms at the middle school were renovated too (necessitated by usual attrition) and most exciting for our student athletes was the installation of a new running track that is used for physical education classes and athletic competitions.
Avondale High School received a number of renovations and updates including a more efficient cafeteria serving line, an enhanced radio room that now includes a video studio, updates to the auditorium including a hydraulic lift for the orchestra pit and an upgraded theater sound board, renovations to the Field House locker rooms, and upgrades to equipment used in the swimming pool area. Most notably, the high school now enjoys and makes full use of a completely renovated media center designed to accommodate both large and small group collaborative work. Within the new space, called The HUB, are three twelve-person conference rooms, a large gathering area with high-top tables and two large screen projection units, and several separate sitting areas for individual comfort and quiet. The large group space is outfitted with white board tables that keep group discussions focused and organized and closed-circuit TVs located around the room that provide a continuous stream of information and announcements relative to high school and district events and recognitions.
After decades of being housed in a portable trailer, the funds from the 2017 bond provided opportunity for the district to move the Transportation Department offices to a reconfigured and remodeled garage on the same site.
Check Out More Pictures of Updates & Improvements!
