Hughson High School is filled with anticipation as the construction of the new 40-wing is officially underway. According to Principal Loren Lighthall, everything is progressing smoothly, right on schedule and within budget. Lighthall allowed the ASB Leadership class to tour the 40-wing construction on Friday during lunch to ask questions and get a first-hand account of how the new building will be arranged.
Originally only containing 2.5 classrooms, the new 40-wing will now create 5 full classrooms, doubling the space available for students and teachers. Currently, because the population of Hughson High School has exploded in recent years, the addition of classrooms is absolutely a priority. When asked about getting a new classroom when construction is completed, new teacher Celeste Rodriguez, who is currently a roving teacher between three different classroom spaces, stated, “I’m super excited! I already have so many ideas as to how I want to set up my space and decorate. Me and the other teachers are very excited to see the rooms when they are all finished.”
In preparation for the project’s next phases, six new portable buildings will be set up on the basketball courts this December. These portables will serve as temporary classrooms for about a year while the construction on the high school campus continues.
The 40-wing, which is expected to be completed around December, will allow teachers currently working in the 1-10 wing to move into the five new 40-wing classrooms and the six new portables on the basketball courts. This move will allow construction to begin on upgrading the 1-10 classroom wing. Amy McAndrews, who will be slated to move into the new classrooms in December from the 1-10 wing, said, “I am excited to have a new wing, but I’m not looking forward to packing up my room. It will be uncomfortable for a while, but we will have a beautiful new room to eventually enjoy.”
Looking ahead, the 40-wing will eventually expand to include new classrooms dedicated to the agriculture department. Alongside these additions, a brand-new set of restrooms will be built to serve the growing student population. “I like the plans for the new construction. I really think our school is proactive about our expansions and working with our budget to improve all aspects/pathways of our school. Both the FFA and regular sciences are getting upgrades in facilities and our campus is getting the major updating it has needed. We are a competitive and winning school and I’m glad our facilities will soon reflect that,” said ASB Vice President Sophia Aguiar, who was on today’s tour.
Hughson High is thrilled to see these improvements taking shape, creating a better learning environment for students and staff alike.
