Platteview Trojans returned to school on August 15th, 2018, ready to start the school year. Some students, however, will be in a new learning environment due to a construction project at Platteview Central Junior High. The remodel aims to make the school safer. Overall changes include expanding multiple classrooms, reinstalling heating and cooling systems, as well as filling in the infamous “Pit.” The project is currently scheduled to be completed by mid-October.

Mrs. Tiller, an eighth grade Language Arts teacher, believes the Jr. High renovations were necessary for staff and student safety. “The old building was deteriorating, so the new one won’t have those [hazards],” said Tiller. “It was an old building that needed physical maintenance, and [the renovated building] should last for another fifteen or twenty years.”

Until the renovations are completed, students and Junior High staff are spending their school day in the portables located in the north parking lot. “[The portables] are much larger than I expected, and they still allow for a good learning environment,” said Social Studies teacher Mr. Soneson. “The temporary pain of being in a trailer will be worth it when the renovations are complete.”

For students who may have trouble finding their classes due to the location change, a map of the portables has been attached to this article. The trailers are a temporary fix that will lead to a safer learning environment for Jr. High students in the future. Students will be back in their usual classrooms in no time.