A much needed renovation is finally nearing completion for the new Student Services Section of Oak Lawn Community High School.
After the performing arts center was built, the need for the beloved little theatre dwindled, eventually reaching the point where it was an unnecessary section of the school. The student services department, however, desperately needed more room.
Meetings were held in random classrooms, there was no College and Career Center, counselors couldn’t keep everything as organized as it should be, etc.. It was obvious that a solution was needed- and the little theatre was the perfect pick.
“Drawings for the new section were shown to us in February. The bidding started in March and the company was also approved in March,” Mrs. Kenny tells us.
Construction had started right away once school ended. The construction crew had previously cleaned out the little theatre and then informed the affected staff to remove their belongings quickly after the day ended.
Construction was expected to last from late May to early September, however, its completion date had been pushed further into September due to some setbacks. The majority of it was completed by the beginning of the new school year, and was active and running smoothly only a couple of weeks into the year.
“The new renovation has made it very bright and it’s improving the happiness of the workers and students that visit,” Mrs. Kenny shares.
The new area is bright, spacious, and very modern. They got rid of old furniture and brought in brighter colors, and have an impressive amount of windows to improve the overall feel of the rooms. There are new discussion rooms where parents and children can have room to meet with advisors or counselors, and there’s bigger meeting rooms to host large groups of students. They also included a new College and Career Center that’s main focus is aiding in students’ plans after high school.
“There’s now a designated space for college visits, and hosting meetings with students, we no longer have to use a classroom,” states Mrs. Kenny, the main aid in college and career services.
The improvement of the Student Services Section, along with the addition of a College and Career Center, seems like it’s going to drastically improve the overall experience for high school students and teachers alike.
