SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — Lake Hazel Middle School is undergoing the first of a multi-stage plan to renovate the interior of the school, an upgrade it hasn't seen since it opened in 1980. Construction to build five classrooms, redo restrooms and replace the flooring throughout the school has started over summer break.
- The goal of the renovation is to bring Lake Hazel Middle School in line with some of the newer schools recently built in the West Ada School District.
- The full renovation of the interior of the school is expected to take 3-4 years to complete.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"It's one of the oldest middle schools in West Ada," said Cara Hinkson, the principal at Lake Hazel Middle School.
Upgrades are on the way to a South Boise school that's served thousands of students since 1980.
"I like to call it the six degrees of separation from Lake Hazel. Everybody has a cousin or an aunt or something that went to school here,” said Hinkson.
"The building is just vintage right, that's the word I like to use to describe it, we're vintage," says Hinkson.
She tells me her vintage school struggles to compete with newer schools in the West Ada District, especially when it comes to what's going on behind the walls, like lighting and electrical.
"Several years ago we identified major projects within the district that we needed to address and Lake Hazel Middle School is one of those projects,” said David Reinhart, the Chief Operating Officer for the West Ada School District.
He tells me these renovations will better serve students.
"We believe that all students should have the same education experience regardless of their address so we have some brand new middle schools, and we knew that we wanted this school to be equally as great of a space to learn in,” added Reinhart.
The first round of renovations includes tearing down walls to build five new classrooms, remodeling bathrooms and upgrading the hallways and flooring throughout the school.
Cara hopes students returning in the fall will feel at home.
"I think that they'll have a sense of pride. Often we have kids that go to other schools for sporting events or music events and they come back feeling defeated that they go to this school that doesn't look as nice. So I'm excited for how that impacts them when they get to go and say 'Yeah, but ours is just as good and it's different' and like vintage buildings and vintage homes have value,” said Hinkson.
"I think it'll be fun just to feel important and not feel like we're less than or not feel like we're different," continued Hinkson.
