Approximately $38 million of the bond funds will transform the aging Mustang High School campus, where the average age of the classroom buildings is more than 40 years old, to a facility that meets the standards of a 6A school. New construction, which includes new academic buildings, a media center, cafeteria and commons area, will greatly increase the school’s capacity. The new construction will also tie the separate academic buildings together, dramatically increasing the ability to secure the campus.
Bonnie Lightfoot, superintendent, said improvements at MHS have taken a back seat for several years while the district worked to keep up with the student population growth at the elementary level.
“For several years, the Mustang Public School District has been forced to address immediate needs at the elementary level before we looked at the work that needed to be done at Mustang High School,” Lightfoot said. “What is necessary at the high school required more funds than we were capable of through general obligation bonds. A combination of lease revenue and general obligation bonds is allowing us to take care of the needs at Mustang High School in a timely manner instead of accomplishing it piecemeal over many years.”
The proposed plans call for a two-story academic building to be constructed in front of the Central Building. The more than 79,000 square foot facility would house 28 classrooms and administration offices. It would give MHS a new and visible main entrance. A new and enlarged media center and cafeteria would open onto a new commons area in front of the MHS auditorium. For the first time, Mustang High School would have a visible, secure main entrance, and the classrooms would be under one roof.
A new ninth grade center is also planned. The South Building on the MHS campus would be razed to make room for the new multi-story classroom facility. The ninth grade center would include more than 35 classrooms and move the freshmen back to the high school campus. Administrators made the decision to relocate the freshman after a quality time analysis showed how much instructional time is lost transporting students hourly to the high school campus for classes not available at Mustang Mid-High.
The home side of Bronco Stadium would also be moved to the west and increased to 5,000 seating capacity on that side. For many years, Bronco Stadium has been unable to support the number of patrons who attend football games and other events. Not only would this project benefit the district’s patrons, but Mustang Public Schools would also be able to host more district and regional events.
District leaders continue to meet with architects who will be designing the project if the bond issue passes on April 7, MA+ Architecture. One factor that played a role in the selection of MA+ Architecture was their redesign of Bishop McGuiness High School, another older facility that could no longer meet the needs of the student population.
Click here to see before and after pictures of MA+ Architecture projects. |
