As students start school this year one thing is immediately apparent; the building may look the same on the outside, but the interior has changed drastically. All over the school, doors and walls have been painted, the auditorium has been updated and the turf looks brighter than usual. While at a glance, the school may look more put together, a second glance may warrant a change of tone. The fresh white paint contrasts the gaping holes in the ceiling, the new bathrooms offset the mold accumulating on the older bathrooms and the new ADA compliant improvements contradict the constantly out-of-order elevator. With this school being taken off the renovation list, it seems as if it may go neglected forever, keeping this school an unsafe space for students to learn.

Of the $15 million allocated to a three-stage renovation project, $753,653 of it was spent on field improvements, $306,878 on painting and $1,437,469 on ADA work, according to project manager Eleesha Daley. As phase one of these renovations have been completed, this school is now seeing results. While it was certainly a major accomplishment to get ADA work done to make the school more accessible, without broader improvements, it’s hard for these changes to make any difference. While having more wheelchair ramps, spaces and lifts are beneficial in their ability to increase participation and feelings of belonging in the community, if there are only two elevators in the entire school, there is no feasible way for all students to travel across school efficiently.

While this is only phase 1 of the renovation project, and next summer even more ADA compliant infrastructure will be added, there has been no mention of fixing underlying issues that cause problems for students currently. All that has been mentioned in current project plans and in meetings seems to be building upon the foundation that we have, instead of addressing the root of the issue.

For example, the new gender-inclusive restrooms are a crucial part of making school a safe space, but when compared to this school’s current restrooms that are constantly having plumbing issues, I wonder if a small fraction of the renovation budget could be spent on fixing our gendered bathrooms as well, so that all students can have a safe and uncomplicated bathroom experience. Every year, toilets break down and are out of commission for weeks at a time, and in a school with over 1,600 students, there becomes a problem when there are not enough facilities for everyone to share.

For the current students and future generations to come, something must be done to solve the underlying issues that the recent renovations do not address.