UNION GROVE — Union Grove Union High School students and staff returned to class this week to major changes resulting from a $35 million referendum passed by voters in 2024.
New secure and ADA-compliant entrances on the north and south sides of the building were among the first changes students encountered.
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There's also a new student parking lot, which will be further expanded, and a new north lot set to be completed in the coming week. The parking adjustments are aimed at addressing traffic and safety concerns, as vehicle crashes near the high school have caused 36 injuries and 210 collisions resulting in damage since 2018.
"We have kids that are then parking in the community, and having to walk across 45 to get here. It's part of the reason we have so many incidents," District Administrator Tom Johnson said.
Student parking will eventually fit 500 vehicles, and a road will be added behind the high school to route traffic to 58th, rather than US Highway 45.
"It's just an enormous pain if you are a person who lives in a home in Union Grove downtown, and you have all of your parking taken up," he added.
$5.1 million of the referendum funding went toward the school's technical education wing, adding space for programs including plumbing, woodworking, automotive mechanics and metalworking.
"In the last five years, we've had a 22 percent increase in students wanting into these classes," Johnson said.
Senior Cole Stehling, who hopes to become an engineer, is among the students benefiting from new engineering and robotics spaces.
"As a STEM student, there's just so much more space," he said. "You can have so much more stuff."
Stehling said the improvements will allow his teacher to better prepare him for what's next.
"Because of all the new equipment and space, he can better teach me the stuff that I'll use in the future," Stehling said.
The renovations also include four new science classrooms. Mitchell Brachmann, a 17-year veteran teacher at the school, said he previously did not have his own classroom in the building.
"To be able to have my own location where I can set up my labs and teach as I would like to teach without having to be on a cart and move things around has been super helpful," Brachmann said.
Brachmann also said the improvements will benefit students beyond high school.
"I feel lucky and fortunate to be able to be here to be able to give the kids here in Union Grove the opportunity to have those types of material available to them, because I know it sets them up better as they move out of the high school and into different working environments," Brachmann said.
New corridors now connect art rooms to science classrooms and link the main building to the agricultural wing.
"It's much easier to navigate," student Nova Frausto said.
While more work remains, students and staff are optimistic about the long-term impacts.
Frauso, a junior who will have two years learning in the renovated space, said, "I feel like it's going to be a much nicer experience."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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