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The construction in the middle and high school has been suspended. This may be for the best.
Many of the changes that were planned (and began) caused some controversy among students. The most noticeable change is the removal of some lockers. The school had planned to remove all lockers for next school year to provide more space in the tight hallways, but when the bids came back higher than expected, the project had already started.
Now, some sections of lockers are missing, others untouched. While this isn’t ideal, most of the lockers are still completely functional, and will hopefully be available for students to use in the ’22-’23 school year. If the construction is suspended until further notice, Avonworth may be able to continue with traditions like senior locker decorating, as well as having the convenience of leaving heavy books, coats, and snacks in their personal locker.
The other visible change is in the library. The construction plans included splitting the library into several classrooms, so the shelves were already removed and disposed of; for now, the books are packaged on crates on the ground, and it’s unclear where they will stand next year.
The library space should not be taken from students– the large, open room serves as a quiet space for students in open mods and lunches. I ate lunch in the library almost every day this year; it’s the only place readily available to students all day where you can eat and work at the same time in peace without seeking out a teacher who will let you use their classroom.
As someone who gets overwhelmed by noise easily, I’ve also used it plenty of times when the classroom was too loud to work. The library should stay this way: a place set aside for students to control their own time and environment, take a break from the noise and busyness of classrooms and hallways, and have the option to be alone.
Now that the construction is paused until further notice, we get to take advantage of our time with an extra-large library, and upcoming students can appreciate the overhanging lights, television, wall of whiteboards, and large multi-purpose library classroom located in the back.
Though it’s unclear when construction will be able to continue, for now, students can continue to enjoy their lockers and library in an in-between but functional state as we learn more about the changes that will take place in our school.
