001So, welcome to episode two of rumor has it, the rumor has it podcast being recorded live at Cedar Springs High School. With me today is Mr. Herndon who works with our media production students and really the the two producers of this podcast are part of Mr. Herndon's program. So, we're just excited. We're going to talk about some of the different changes that have happened across campus in relationship to our facilities, both things that we've built up and also some things that we're taking off. Turn it over to Mr. Herndon to to lead the conversation. Yeah, I think this is a first off I think it's a great idea we're having the podcast going on so people can hear this stuff. I love the title rumor has it. Being a community member myself, being a part
002of Cedar Springs High School for 23 years, living in the community prior for the last 20 years. I think this is a great way for us to sort of quell rumors, answer questions, and do those things and I I just think this is a great idea and a great concept before you roll in. Um But the first thing we're looking at today is looking at like the facility changes and how we're doing things. I know that was a big focus and hopefully we'll get joined by one of our our maintenance workers later as well. Um but when we look at changing facilities and doing things well there the upgrades to our parking lots behind Cedar Cedar View. Whether we're redoing Beach and sort of revamping Beach Elementary, new playgrounds, new early childhood learning centers. Like
003when we look at those things like what do we do what from a community member perspective when you guys look at it central office-wise? How do we prioritize like the needs of what our students really need as opposed sometimes what they want or what we might want? Sure, and that's a great question. It's really like our home budget. Um you know, we have things that we need to um to be able to create conditions in which our students are safe. Um that they're they're comfortable, the the learning environment is is is one. Um and so when we first started looking at the different options, opportunities for us as far as bond projects go, we really focused in on the classroom, the learning environments across campus. And so the first thing that we identified is the
004the need to create a climate in those classrooms that was comfortable year round. So it was cool with climate controls that provided um you know, cooler environment on those hotter days, but also a nice warm environment on those colder days. You know, an example of a a want might be you know, when we looked at the different playground piece of playground equipment at the different buildings, you know, we easily could have spent $500,000 on each playground. Because there's so many different options and they were cool things, but we had a budget and we wanted to maximize the impact of that budget and so you know, we we identified the top pieces that were available within a $200,000 price range. And so we could do $200,000 at each of the three elementary buildings and provided students
005with a robust experience. Um but I think there were things on the want list that we left off. You know, so it's you know, if you think about wants, it's it's the frills. Um we really focused our attention on providing the needs across the board. I like the analogy like it's like your home budget. Yeah. Cuz I think like when I'm wife and step daughters and all that stuff trying to figure things out, like you're trying to figure out that balance. Like you want to take a vacation, but do you want to go just to like travel to get there or do you want to really enjoy your experience while you're there? Yeah. Yeah. I drive a 2015 Subaru Outback with 225,000 mi on it. It's what I need to get back and forth to
006work. I'd love to drive a 2025 Jeep Wrangler. That's a want. Not going to happen because it's not in my budget. Yeah, you know, but it it's it's getting things done in a at a level of high quality um, but not fancy. I I think that's how we've used that's how we've described in the past when talking with other people. Then from my outside perspective, I think we did a really good job with what we did at Beach. You said it's it's try to keep it not fancy for us. Beach to me is a that new version of Beach Elementary is absolutely beautiful. Yeah, and it's it's amazing inside and out. But again, it's not fancy. You know, if if you look at the building. So, um, in in architecture in in school design, you
007know, you can do a lot with with curved hallways to create these ambiance feelings. You can do a lot with with glass and skylights and all of those types of things. And if you'll notice the design structure at Beach is very straightforward. Um, very functional, super functional. Um, but not fancy. Uh, but the kids love it. But it Yeah, it looks it looks great though. Yeah, that's the neat thing. You know, for us here at the high school level, I love the front four. Yeah. That new concept there which is a it's a room if you guys haven't seen the the front four from when you pull into the circle drive at all. It's four rooms that can either be one room, two rooms, three rooms, whatever you can change the layout whatever it is
008and you can synchronize the projector so it's all showing up on the same screen and it provides an environment for us to me that's more like a college feel. Right. And I think for us to use the use that use that facility at the start um, at the front of the building for that that college feel that idea where they can come into a large presentation or they can work together and it's such a modular space. I I think the concept there has been great for us, too. And then of course, the high school the one of the ones that pops out the most is the new fitness center. Yeah. Yeah, and again, that was um, you know, we had a budget um, and we were able to do some things across campus uh, because
009we were very clear with the architects, uh, very clear with the design team, that we wanted a high degree of functionality, we wanted quality, we want this to last. Uh but we didn't we didn't need fancy. Uh and so because we were able to uh maintain that commitment, uh we were able to avoid uh a lot of things um you know, during the process of building um you see something else or you think of another idea, oh we can just add that and it's just $75,000 or it's just whatever Well, that's called scope creep and if you can if you if you're not very careful, scope creep will eat up your budget. Uh we were very clear uh with the architectural team, with the design team, uh and our our partners from Triangle Construction did
010an outstanding job of just helping us maintain focus on the things that we were committed to. And what that enabled us to do is put $1.5 million into the tennis courts because that was not on the original plan. Um and it also enabled us to be able to do some things. The the original concept with our weight room in that uh a practice space was to have a space to lift weights um and that was basically one box and then the other box was a place for cheer or wrestling to um work uh use after school. Um because we had we'd had some additional dollars that were available for us um and contingency funds from other projects, we were all able to add, you know, another 30 ft to the cheer space, which gave us
011enough length to be able to drop three batting cages in and then we thought, okay, let's put down some turf and then we thought, okay, let's put some glass uh doors at both ends so we can roll those things up and really create a space where students can be lifting in one kind of area, they can be doing um cardiovascular or movement exercises in another area, and they can be outside uh doing some cool things in that area as well. So, it just enabled us to do some some basic things across three different uh three different areas. It's not a field house, um which which a lot of districts are are are building or trying to build right now. Um but we couldn't afford a field house. So, we built a space that is, you
012know, super functional that uh a wide variety of of students can uh you really enjoy. Um And it's a space that'll last, you know, for a long time. Well, and that's the tough thing, you know, you mentioned Beach, and the total price tag for Beach was just right just over $22 million. And And and so, as we were looking to to identify what the next what the next thing was for the Hilltop building. Um the Hilltop building was in really rough shape. Um it was 100 years old. Um the construction methods that were used when it was originally built in the 1920s were appropriate for the 1920s, but they're not appropriate for the 2020s. Um and the way the building was designed was very appropriate for the 1920s, not appropriate for the 2020s. And so,
013you know, the the the renovation costs at at Hilltop because of the the high scope the high demand of the work, you know, that project is is would would have cost somewhere between 22 and 25 million dollars. The whole Beach project was just over $22 million. And so, you know, there's a there's a place in the parking lot when you can stand and you can look to the uh left, and then you can see a $22 million investment in in education. And then you can look to the right and look at Hilltop, and you think okay, here's another $22 million uh investment in education. Which location is going to get us farther in 50 years? And it's the answer is obvious, you know, the the beach concept, the beach direction is the way to go.
014Um and so another great example of of of need versus want. You know, there there were several people that reached out that wanted us to save Hilltop. Want is more desire-based. And need is just core-based, you know. While we wanted to to preserve that space, um we couldn't we couldn't do it in a such a way that it was financially responsible to our community. There is that emotional connection to it. And our community is so so locked in and so proud to it. And I you can see that like I'm I'm active uh in the community and and all this stuff we talk about. And that's been a hot topic for a while. So you want to honor the history of it as well. Um as best as we can, so people feel like it's
015respected, and that's fine. Um the plan for that space is to keep it as a green space afterwards, correct? Correct, yeah. It's to restore it to a green space, to a park-like setting, um but preserve the the land. Um we had a Forever Redhawks event a couple of months ago, and I was just sharing the the the vision and the options that the board was considering at the time, and um one of the individuals, she was a retired teacher in Cedar Springs. Um you know, she was a a lifelong resident of the community, uh and she was excited that uh it would be an opportunity for us to to preserve that space for a future school. Um not that building, not that school, but for a future school. Uh and that was that just really
016brought uh brightness to my heart. That like looking ahead, it will still be a space for a school. It will still be a a space that celebrates learning, that celebrates kids. Um but it'll be a different a different space than what we're currently looking at. And as humans, we're collectors. We love artifacts. We love those mementos. Um you know, I've had more people reach out uh to us uh who wanted a brick than uh than pretty much any other topic this whole year. Uh and so that's been a real hot topic. And so, you know, we're going to be providing opportunities for people to uh stop by. We'll have a brick pile outside the construction zone. Uh and so, you know, individuals will be able to stop by and pick up a brick safely, you
017know, because we we don't want people crawling through the the the building itself. Um but again, giving them an opportunity to have that memento to put on their shelf, put in a box, whatever it is they want to do, but it's it's that artifact that they can go back to if they if they want to in the future. >> That's a great thing for that, too. You know, as we sort of wrap this on up um and and get past the facilities piece, um what's the one we talked about like the benefit of budgeting and moving people in the right directions and saving the things and needs and wants? Like what's the one like lasting thing that we want the community to know? Yeah, I think that, you know, their dollars have been really thoughtfully
018uh utilized to create conditions um in each building across the district um uh that students will be able to thrive in for the next 25 years. You know, we've really created a got a foundation in place um that will provide our students with a great place to learn for for a a lengthy period of time into the future. And that's the main goal for us when our kids will leave here, leave Sear Springs Public Schools ready to take on the world and be great, fantastic, productive members of society. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So, thanks for today. I I enjoyed being here. I enjoyed talking to you. I appreciate you. >> the pod room. The pod room. Fantastic logos, lights, all that stuff. Uh special thanks to John and Caleb, of course, for for producing, as always.
019Yeah. Um and tune in next time as we sort of take a look at sort of the the food service element of what happens at Serious Fun Co-op Schools, but rumor has it I'm Justin Herndon. And I'm Scott Smith. Um yeah, we appreciate you checking this out. It's a great day Yeah. to be a Red Hawk. There you go. Thank you. Thanks.