Pond to Pavement: East considers building a new addition in the environmental space with a grant from the district

East received a $4.6 million grant to be used for infrastructure, and in other ways the school sees fit. The ways in which the money will be used haven’t been officially decided, but the main plan proposed is to construct a new addition off of the north ramp into the environmental space.

Principal Jason Peres and the district facilities committee began meeting bi-weekly to discuss how to distribute the funds from a grant as of Sept. 22. 

The grant comes from a $246 million bond for the district passed in January, which was divided between some of the district schools that were outdated or lacking certain facilities like weight rooms, galleries and collaborative space. Along with East, other schools that received money were North, Northwest and Indian Woods. 

But as they’ve just begun discussing, they’re currently brainstorming possible projects to put the money towards and consulting with companies such as architect firm Insight Design Studios and contracting firm Newkirk Novak to brainstorm what those spaces include.

“Ideas were thrown across the room and [the architects] will come back in two more weeks with other ideas with more detailed site drawings,” SMSD’s Director of Facilities Tyler Clubb said. “The construction company’s taking these and trying to get estimates on what it would cost for each project to see if we can [create a] list and get it done within our budget.”

In addition to constructing the addition off the ramp, some of the smaller projects for East that have been discussed include renovating the locker rooms, adding new classrooms, installing the bathrooms full privacy stalls and replacing some of the lockers with high-top tables.

About half of the funds provided to East would be used for the new addition if it was decided on. Although none of the plans are officially determined, they hope to come to a decision by November. At the start of second semester they’d have the designs from the architects and contractors, which will allow them to start working next summer at the earliest.

Although the main purpose for the North ramp addition is undecided, they’re considering it to be 2-3 floors and include a large open space, two other areas that could be used as a classroom, work space or meeting rooms and an art gallery.

“If you look at our current set-up, we really only have one large collaborative space, and that’s our cafeteria,” principal Jason Peres said. “So what this would offer for us is a larger collaborative space and more collaborative spaces to use as we see fit.”

The environmental space is the patch of land past the North ramp between the third floor science hall and the second floor art wing. The space is home to a pond, stream and natural grasses and flowers that could’ve been found in the original prairie areas around here. Science teacher Rusty DeBey oversees the area and uses it to show his students the set-up of a natural ecosystem. 

“The area is for Environmental Ed classes to identify plants and grasses that are native to Kansas,” DeBey said. “The pond is used for aesthetics to show wildlife, there’s places for [organisms] to go to have water where the case may be.”

Originally, there were 15 flowers and four native grasses in the area, but after the construction on the cafeteria most of those organisms were wiped out due to the workers and equipment moving in and out of that space. If it’s decided to use the space for a new addition, then the pond will be taken out and the rest of the land and plants aren’t likely to survive. 

“It’d be nice to have a nice big conference area [or] to have an art gallery,” DeBey said. “On the other hand, I’ll miss having the pond there because we get to see some wildlife in there, especially in the spring time. I will lose half that area to all the construction.”

DeBey is working with Peres to plan a new environmental area and hopes to be able to incorporate another water feature and seasonal flowering plants so that the landscape is changing seasonally and can act as a “wildlife rehab.” 

It’s yet to be decided where this space will be, but moving the fence on the far side of the addition back towards the sidewalk is being considered.

The new expansion would connect to the North ramp, keeping the windows so you could see in, but there’d still be spaces on either side of the addition as alleyways to keep the extended kiln space and DeBey’s greenhouse untouched.

The new addition would also solve the issue with the North and South ramps lacking in American Disabilities Act compliance. Since the ADA was enacted in 2008, all buildings must accommodate easy access for those who are disabled, but since East was built in the 90s, it lacks some of these modifications. The two ramps connecting the second and third floors are non-compliant to ADA standards as they are too steep. In response to this, the addition would have entrances at both the top and the bottom of the North ramp so people could enter at one end, utilize an elevator within the addition to move between the second and third floor, then they’d exit on the other floor, avoiding the ramp.

“[A new addition] just opens up a possibility to have more flexibility with how we use spaces in our building and how kids collaborate,” Peres said.