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Administration
In the Works
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In March of 2006, the voters of Waterloo Community Unit School District No. 5 approved a $35 million referendum to build a new high school, and renovate the existing high school. A year later, on March 22, 2007, the school district, S. M. Wilson & Co. and Design Architects, Inc. broke ground on the new Waterloo High School facility at 505 E. Bulldog Boulevard, which encompasses a 62-acre site. On August 16, 2009, the new Waterloo High School will be dedicated and open to the community. |
Design Architects, Inc. designed the new 227,000 square-foot high school, which will accommodate 1,400 students and offer 68 classrooms for general courses, agricultural studies, automotive shop, driver’s education and wood shop. Fine arts, vocational, college-prep…there is something for everyone!
Waterloo’s new high school includes a 462-seat auditorium for performing arts productions, school assemblies, and community events. The new school features a fitness center/weight room for athletic training, computer labs (as well as a wireless network), library, cafeteria to seat 600, music rooms and an engineering lab. An interior central courtyard, with a small pond, provides not only a safe gathering place for students, but will enhance the agriculture curriculum. The facility's design also incorporates a "common area" design for 1,800 students, allowing for future classroom expansion, without over-crowding the facility. In addition, a 20,040 square-foot gymnasium featuring multiple full-size basketball courts, will seat 2,000 spectators.
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Athletic facilities incorporated into the design are six tennis courts, varsity softball and baseball fields, and an athletic complex housing track, soccer, and football. The athletic complex seats 1,866 on the home side, and 475 on the visitors’ side (moved from existing fields).
In May 2007, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released $659,238 in a hazard mitigation grant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency for a code-plus project to help build our new high school facility using earthquake resistant construction. The structural |
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upgrades included an increase in steel weight, strengthening of framing connections, and mechanical, electrical, fire protection, hydronic and plumbing seismic upgrades. The opportunity to provide extra funding for our new high school, and also provide safety to our community is tremendous. Waterloo High School is the only educational facility east of the Mississippi River approved for this type of grant! |
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This project also qualifies for Capital Development Board (CDB) funding from the State of Illinois. Waterloo Community Unit School District No. 5 has a completed application on file (since 2003) for a school construction grant with the Illinois State Board of Education. In the past month, the General Assembly appropriated funds for capital development; it is now a waiting game to see if capital funds will be released to Waterloo. We want to thank our State Legislators, Senator David Luechtefeld and Representative Dan Reitz in their efforts to secure this funding for our community. |
Twyla Luhr, George Obernagle, Harrisonville Telephone Company, Baxmeyer Construction, and Waterloo High School Booster Club have made substantial financial donations to the project. Our facility reflects the generosity from these individuals, local companies, and sports boosters. Our “thank you’s” pale in comparison to the magnitude of their thoughtfulness; please know they made a positive difference in the lives of our students.
Thank you for all your support in the building of the new school, and for addressing the needs of the children in our community. The effort put in by so many can never be quantified…only qualified by our children’s futures. Thank you again for the extreme impact you have made on the educational future of our youth. |
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