Things are looking a lot brighter as Hayfield Community Schools prepare for a fresh start to the school year with some new upgrades as a part of their $24 million building project.

Superintendent Gregg Slaathaug expressed his excitement regarding the overall progress that’s being made for the construction project being done at Hayfield High School. With building and renovations being on schedule, Hayfield is looking at some major changes.

“There’s new flooring all over the school, “ Slaathaug said over the phone Thursday afternoon. “There’s new tiles that are safer outside of the gym and in many of the classrooms. This was a total team effort by staff and students. In the community, we’re very excited.”

School starts for Hayfield on Sept. 4, and with new things on the horizon, returning students and staff will be able to see the new cement on sidewalks, improvements to accessibility and more as they open the doors.

“Every week, there’s something new and exciting going on for renovations,” Slaathaug added.

What’s been done so far

One of the major upgrades included the installation of four smaller boilers, which Slaathaug says would contribute to better heating of the school building during the winter, as well as running a dehumidifier and chillers would take away extreme humidity that could be built up inside.

“It feels really good,” Slaathaug said. “HVAC in the high school is very well completed, and we have our first volleyball match and the gym’s not a sweatbox. It’s a safer environment for our student athletes, and it’s going to be a blessing for our schools in two weeks. It’s all good.”

A new secured entrance is expected to be finished by the first day of school, the gym has been painted for the first time in 20 years, and floors were sanded and repainted, breathing new life into the space. New plumbing piping has been redone in the bathrooms as well, according to Slaathaug.

Other improvements included the technology upgrades for faster internet speed and connectability. Custodial and technology staffs were busy rewiring yards of new cables and removing old wires in order to bring technology up to standard. Around 95 percent of the LED lighting in both gyms, hallways and classrooms were finished, and student movers returned to move furniture back into the classrooms.

“The difference, I can’t even put into words,” Slaathaug said. “The lighting makes a heck of a difference when students come back for school and get back into the classroom.”

Slaathaug credited the improvements to Hayfield Community Schools taxpayers, because back in 2017, voters said yes on a $14.3 million building referendum that provided major upgrades as part of a $24 million building project, with about $10 million expected to fix infrastructure and to modify classrooms, according to a previous story.

There was also a $9.7 million low-interest Qualified Zone Academy Bonds grant that Hayfield received—one of two districts statewide to land this Minnesota Department of Education grant—which has a zero percent interest rate, and was expected to save taxpayers about $4 million in interest over the bond’s life.

“A lot of things got done,” Slaathaug said. “We still couldn’t be any more appreciative to District 203. These upgrades needed to be done to keep our schools viable, and to give our kids a viable environment for their education.”

About $4.3 million of the funds are being used to renovate and expand the school cafeteria, install new security measures at entrances, install other common area upgrades, and create a new school-age child care room.

The cafeteria will still be undergoing construction until after Christmas break, according to Slaathaug, which is still within their expected timeframe of completion and when students would be able to begin taking their lunches inside the space.

“We’re happy with our upgrades and with what we’re able to do for our students here,” Slaathaug said. “After Christmas, our students can move into the new cafeteria just as we originally planned. We’re 100 percent on schedule.”

What’s next on the project to-do list?

There’s still plenty of work to be done, according to Slaathaug. As previously reported, the undertaking at Hayfield Community Schools is a two-summer project. Summer 2019 will be focused on renovating the elementary school and kitchen that provides services to both the high school and elementary school.

For that summer, the elementary school will be gutted —except for the offices and gymnasium— and then the classrooms will be rebuilt to a regular layout, as opposed to their current triangular spaces. Bathrooms and offices will also undergo some changes. Construction will continue during that school year as well, but students’ learning would not be affected by the work that’s being done.

Overall, Slaathaug sees that the district will continue making improvements not just for the immediate school year, but for generations down the road.

“The last three months have been very exciting,” he said. “Seeing everything coming to the end, and seeing the finished product after all the hard work is really fun to see.”