Visitors touring the rebuilt parts of Roosevelt High School take a gander at the cheerleading/dance studio. Photos by Edmond Ortiz

By Edmond Ortiz
Staff Writer

Perhaps the most notable response from people who tour the rebuilt Roosevelt High School campus is the constant stream of “wow,” “ooh” and “amazing” that can be heard every time such visitors walk into an improved or brand new structure.

Roosevelt officials manage to illicit more and more of these reactions these days. A long reign of reconstruction is a few months from completion. Bolstered with a $74 million allocation from the 2003 North East School District bond issue, reconstruction has encompassed virtually every square foot on the 42-year-old campus.

“Soon we’ll start on the demolition of the old parts of the school,” Principal Carl Hall said. “There hasn’t been too much disruption during all the construction work. The first couple of days were chaotic because nobody knew where to go next. But students adapted faster than the adults. We’ve moved around so much, there haven’t been many problems.”

School administrators are experiencing a higher frequency of tour requests from various groups and organizations, such as the Windcrest Lions, who met March 25 in the new, larger cafeteria.

The Lions and other community members, led by administrators, smiled and lingered while walking through finished areas such as a 750-capacity auditorium that boasts high theater seating and an orchestra pit.

“This auditorium has the capabilities of a full theater,” said Garrett Sullivan, district planning and facilities director. “This is the kind of size you need to comply with all the current academic and performing requirements.”

Visitors walked through a new classroom wing where an art deco-style school moniker can be seen through a giant glass façade that now fronts part of the under-reconstruction courtyard.

The second-floor teachers’ resource room provides a view of the east front portion of the school, where the new administrative sector will be soon. Administration, library and the courtyard are the final parts to receive reconstruction. All work is slated to halt prior to the start of the 2008-09 school year.

Tour party members examine students’ model structures inside the architecture classroom in the Data And Technology Academy. Students use laser precision to cut angles and windows in the models.

The band hall has three ensemble rooms of varying sizes. Assistant Coach David Caronia joked that the musical instrument enclosures resemble dog kennels.

Student athletes now have their own room dedicated for indoor practice, discussions as well as review match films that are projected onto big screens.

“This is much better. The wrestling team used to practice sometimes in the back of the cafeteria,” Caronia remarked.

The athletes’ locker rooms are more spacious. There are separate practice and competition gymnasiums, the latter of which can seat 600 people.

The visitors then toured Roosevelt’s two on-campus magnet schools – the Engineering and Technologies Academy, whose building opened March 24, and the Design And Technology Academy. The overall reconstruction project retains the existing DATA facility, which was funded by the 1995 district bond, and the arts and sciences wing, which opened in 2005 thanks to the 1998 district bond.

ETA students clad in their logo uniforms helped display what their magnet school has to offer. Windcrest Mayor and Lions member Jack Leonhardt said he looks forward to any type of partnership that could further develop among his city, the two Roosevelt academies and Rackspace US.

Even after all construction halts, the DATA building – once the youngest building on campus – will be the oldest on the entire property within two years.