Neuqua Valley renovation to bring freshmen back into the building starting in 2027, Indian Prairie 204 says
For more than 20 years, freshman students in the district attending Neuqua have spent their school days at the Birkett Freshman Center, a separate building a little less than a mile from the main campus.
But, starting in 2027, they will join their upperclassmen peers in the main building, as a result of a major renovation project happening at the high school.
These plans — along with the future of the Birkett Center — were presented at the district's most recent school board meeting on June 9.
Steve Shearer, an architect for Chicago-based firm Wight and Company, who is working on the district's renovation projects at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools, said accommodating the freshmen class in Neuqua's main building was one of the top priorities for the upcoming renovation.
Notably, the project will entail two significant additions to the current building – one addition to the front of the building for student and staff resources, and an addition in the back that will house primarily classrooms and science labs, Shearer said. The school will also be getting a new turf field, he noted.
The current freshman center opened in 2003, said assistant principal and lead administrator at the Birkett Freshman Center David Perry. Because it will mean an additional 700 to 800 students in the main Neuqua building, he said, the renovation includes both exterior additions and interior changes to accommodate a larger student population.
In the back of the building, Perry said, the school will be getting a two-story addition that will provide three additional science labs and five additional classrooms, as well as collaborative spaces and breakout rooms.
The district will also be moving staff offices to the front portion of the building, Perry said, which will free up space elsewhere in the school. This portion of the building will also include faculty eating spaces, intervention program spaces and areas for counselors, social workers, the dean of students and secretary. The district is also modifying a tiered lecture hall-style room to be a flat space with varying seating options.
Additionally, to increase the school's main dining space in preparation for a larger student body using it, the renovation plans include moving the current faculty lunch room and relocating several special education classrooms to other parts of the building.
The renovations are set to take place during 2026 and 2027, with the freshmen class joining the rest of the high school for the 2027-28 school year, officials said. Some additional work is set to take place the following summer.
Per the presentation from the district given to the board on June 9, construction is set to primarily impact the exterior of the building beginning in March 2026, leading to changes to entry into the building and some reductions in parking.
In total, the upcoming renovations to Neuqua — which include the building additions, as well as a new chilling system, a renovated student foods lab and the installation of a new turf field — are projected to cost $96 million. Of that, $90 million is being funded by the district's bond issuances, which were approved by voters via referendum in 2024, according to past reporting.
After voters approved a referendum question last year asking whether the district should issue $420 million in bonds for facility upgrades district-wide, the district has moved forward with securing board approval for various renovations and upgrades, some beginning work as early as this summer. The district plans to issue bonds for the facility improvements in rounds through 2029.
In addition to the Neuqua project, the district also has plans for renovation projects at schools throughout the district, such as secure entryways and new playgrounds at several schools, along with a multi-million dollar auditorium upgrade at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora.
The changes to Neuqua also mean the Birkett building will get some renovations of its own, as it prepares to house several district programs once it's no longer needed for freshman students.
As part of a more than $20 million renovation, the district plans to bring its STEPS and Gail McKinzie programs into Birkett, according to Assistant Superintendent of High Schools Nicole Howard. STEPS, or Supportive Training Experiences Post-Secondary, is a job training program for students with special needs. Also part of the district, Gail McKinzie High School offers a credit recovery program for students.
The district also intends for the building to house its Pathways program, which provides career-oriented offerings. Brian Giovanini, the district's director of innovation, said the district is planning to add several courses to that program: a Health Sciences pathway, a Capstone Culinary pathway and a Capstone Construction and Trades pathway.
As it plans for renovation of the Birkett building, the district is also looking to have a welcome center for the district's community support and social service initiatives, labs for kindergarten through eighth grade STEM education and meeting and gathering spaces at the building.
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