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You are here: Home / Archives for education

Second High School Coming To Waukee

September 11, 2018 by Elyssa_ Appleton

Waukee area students in graduating classes 2022-25 could be the first to attend the area’s second high school, which is set to open in 2021.

The fast-growing Waukee Community School District was ready to burst at the seams with Waukee High School nearing capacity. Total districtwide enrollment increased from 2,198 students in September 1999 to more than 10,000 this year with a projection of nearly 13,000 in five years.

Meanwhile, the city of Waukee had grown from 5,180 in 2000 to 20,649 last year. Its recent one-year increase of 9 percent was the highest of any city in the Des Moines area.

The Waukee City Council and the Waukee school district took action in May 2016 to deal with the influx. They approved the joint use of 160 acres of green space for a new high school and a city-owned sports complex. The yet-to-be-named 395,000-square-foot, 1,800-student capacity high school will reside just north of Hickman Road near the Waukee Family YMCA.

Most of the land will be used for the school and its amenities with the remaining space slated for 12 softball/baseball fields and a parking lot.

Voters had to approve a referendum for $117 million in general obligation bonds for the new high school in February to make the project a reality. It required 60 percent for passage. It got 90.27 percent.

Meeting Short-Term Needs

The Waukee Innovation and Learning Center—a facility for innovative partnerships between local businesses, the community and high school students—may be used to house additional Waukee High School programs until the second high school opens. Details are still being worked out.

Ten Elementary Schools by 2022

The district is also adding two elementary schools to accommodate growth. Radiant Elementary, at 5050 170th St. in Urbandale, is under construction and expected to open in the fall of 2019.

Land has been purchased for a tenth elementary school off Ashworth Road, west of Ute Avenue and Highway R22. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2020 and it’s expected to open in 2022. A name for the elementary school has not been determined.

In the meantime, Nicole Lawrence, Communications Coordinator with Waukee Community School District, said the district is closely monitoring enrollment and bringing on new teachers to ensure classrooms stay at an appropriate size.

News about the district’s progress on the elementary and high school fronts has sparked questions about the middle schools as well. The district’s website dedicated to providing information about the second high school addressed the issue by stating it will monitor updated enrollment data and then make plans for how to accommodate students at the middle level.

The New High School’s Design

The concept for the new high school was developed through a six-month immersive design process between FRK Architects & Engineers, district administration and a visioning committee comprised of parents, students, staff and community members.

“In a series of three visioning sessions, the committee learned about current standards and trends in high schools around the country, reviewed multiple layouts from newer high schools and then created building layouts to reflect district values,” said Lawrence.

Feedback from the committee was used to create the building’s three-story layout, which includes a rooftop terrace, a media center with a second-floor mezzanine, an auditorium with a second-floor balcony and orchestra pit, a commons area for students and several individual and group learning areas for students and staff.

There will also be a single, secure entrance for staff, students and visitors during school hours.

“Open, light-filled spaces that promote collaboration and student development were high priorities for the committee, with student safety being a top priority,” said David Briden, Senior Project Architect and Principal with FRK Architects & Engineers.

Incorporating a pond on to the campus was also an important and notable feature when designing the school’s layout.

“A natural drainage channel through the center of the site allowed a pond to be placed as a focal point around which the city and school district facilities could be developed,” said Briden. “Placing the building adjacent to the pond allows it to take advantage of views over the pond to the north. The natural slope of the terrain creates a structure that tucks into the hillside, helping to marry the large scale of the building with the site.”

As instructional methods and learning styles continue to evolve, Briden said each classroom space would be adaptable and future-ready for students.

The school parking lot will be ready for newly licensed drivers, too, with enough room for 1,360 stalls.

Athletic Facilities

Lawrence said that while the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union (IGHSAU) ultimately determine sports classifications, the district anticipates each high school to compete at the 4A – IHSAA and 5A – IGHSAU level.

“Both high schools will offer similar programming and opportunities to students,” she added.

The second high school’s outdoor athletic facilities will feature a football stadium with a field and track, four practice fields, 12 tennis courts, and baseball and softball competition and practice fields. Additional amenities such as concession stands and team rooms are also included in plans.

The stadium will be built in a bowl-type setting into the ground. Inside, the school will have a gymnasium seating 2,500, an auxiliary gymnasium, and a three-lane track.

Parents Embrace the Second High School

Abby Jones, a Waukee parent whose fifth-grade son could be attending the second high school said the addition was a definite need for the community.

“It’s amazing to think how this area has grown in such a short period,” said Jones. “When I attended the University of Iowa, I remember some of my classmates from the Chicago suburbs said they graduated with a class of 1,000. That seemed huge, but we’re not far behind those numbers anymore.”

“I really think so much of our growth can be attributed to the school district’s commitment to offering students a truly high-quality education,” she added.

During the 2015-2016 school year, 855 kindergarten students enrolled in the district—a sign of even larger classes to come.

 

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Filed Under: City of Waukee, Community Spotlight, Family, Featured Teacher, Features, Guide To Waukee, Lifestyles, My City, PinPoints of Interest, School District, Under Construction, Waukee, Waukee History Tagged With: 2021, Community Spotlight, education, Family, Feature, Great City of Waukee, My City, myWaukee, New Schools, PinPoints of Interest, school district, Second High Schools In Waukee, Under Construction, Upcoming In Waukee, waukee, Waukee Lifestyle, Waukee Schools

The Waukee Innovation & Learning Center: An Inspiring Place for Aspiring Professionals

July 3, 2017 by admin

Waukee Innovation and Learning Center

Tucked slightly off the road just south of the Waukee Timberline Soccer Complex, you’ll find a spaceship-looking building, better known as the Waukee Innovation & Learning Center (WILC).  This sleek and modern facility is part of the Waukee Community School District and is the only one of its kind here in Central Iowa.  

The WILC opened its doors this past January and is now home to the Aspiring Professional Experience (APEX) program for local high school students.

Michelle Hill, director of APEX, says the WILC was purposefully designed to be a welcoming, collaborative environment.  “Our philosophy at APEX is for students to take ownership and leadership of innovation, and that’s exactly what’s reflected in the WILC,” said Hill.

APEX offers courses in five economic sectors—engineering; human services; finance and insurance; business, technology and communication; and bioscience and value-added agriculture.  Within these sectors, there are 11 courses (soon to be 14) for the 2017-2018 school year.

Each course has its own “studio” within the WILC.  The building also features some open learning spaces, like the “triangle” in the middle of the building, where furniture can easily be moved for small group work or large speaking events.  One of the more unique features of the WILC is The Hub Café, which offers fresh food and even has a reclaimed barn wood kitchen table with the APEX logo for its base conceptualized and designed by students.

“When people are looking for me, I’m usually at that kitchen table,” said Hill.  “I’m like the ‘APEX mom.’  I enjoy helping students to find what makes them happy.  High school can be such as scary time, where they’re supposed to have it all figured out.  We play a part in helping them figure out what the next step is.”

Waukee Innovation and Learning Center Staff

Every aspect of the WILC allows for what Hill and her team call “creative collisions.”  As students come to co-work, serendipitous interactions happen, including relationships with business professionals.

Russ Goerend, an APEX instructor who previously taught sixth grade English in Waukee, says the WILC structure and the APEX program give metro high school juniors and seniors a rare learning opportunity unlike anything in the traditional classroom.

“APEX is a different, consultant model,” said Goerend.  “While the school-to-work program functions more like an internship, APEX exposes students to working with real clients on real projects with real feedback, paired with the technical skills for completing the work and delivering the final product.”

Each APEX course has its own curriculum team made up of academic and business partners.  Curriculum is evaluated and refreshed every six months to keep it relevant to the needs of the industry.  Hill, Goerend and the APEX instructors also receive support from an advisory board of 23 partners who assist with program strategy and planning while also assessing workforce trends.

Before the WILC opened, students met exclusively at the offices of APEX partner businesses—what the program calls “host sites.”  Now that students have a permanent space, they have the luxury of equally splitting course time between the WILC and in the professional environment, which Goerend said is essential to the program’s success.

While the school-to-work program functions more like an internship, APEX exposes students to working with real clients on real projects with real feedback, paired with the technical skills for completing the work and delivering the final product.

“APEX wouldn’t work without our business partners,” said Goerend.  “Our APEX course standards are designed around client relationships, career exploration and development of technical and professional skills.  Our business partners play an integral role in that.”

One such partner is the City of Waukee.  Goerend teaches a course called Designing Communications Solutions, and as part of this course, he once had his students partner with the City to establish a portfolio of photos from around Waukee.  The students were responsible for scheduling, shooting and editing the photos and then delivering the finished photo library to the client.

Waukee Innovation and Learning Center Students

But, prior to receiving their course projects, APEX students go through a two-week onboarding period during which they adjust to professional dress every day and business basics, like firm handshakes and looking others in the eye.  

“They quickly become independent and use me as a coach and sounding board for projects,” said Goerend.  “Students learn to be self-motivated and independent learners, which is exactly what business partners want in employees.”

One of the foundational tenants of APEX is there are no prerequisite courses or GPA requirements to join the program, nor an application process. Students simply need to register with their counselor, signing up just like any other elective course at the high school.

“APEX can impact any student, regardless of where he/she might be in school,” said Goerend.  “If they feel as though they’ve diverged from what school can offer, we’re here; if they feel as if they’ve reached the maximum school can offer, we’re here.  The motivation is there from APEX students, and the experience they receive is incomparable.  The amount of work and growth they’re able to accomplish in a semester is amazing.”

Primarily filled with students from the Waukee Community School District, APEX has seen tremendous growth, doubling and tripling its class size since its inception.  Next year, APEX expects to see 400 students and will add an additional instructor.

While WILC and APEX offer students a unique learning environment and the chance to explore career possibilities, staff members also hope students begin to see the metro community in a different light—and perhaps consider the Des Moines area when deciding where they want to live and work in the future.

Waukee Innovation and Learning Center Interior

“One of the metrics we track with students after they finish APEX is how likely they are to return to the Des Moines area post-college,” said Goerend.  “What we’re learning is just how much insight APEX gives them about what the Des Moines business and industry landscape has to offer.”

Goerend firmly believes in the APEX program, not only for the students he mentors and teaches, but for his own family, too.  He and his wife, who is also a teacher in the Waukee School District, hope their three young boys will embrace APEX when they reach high school.  “I want our own sons to have this experience,” he said.  “I don’t care which APEX sector they choose, but I will highly encourage them to pursue this opportunity.”

For more information on the WILC and APEX, including how to apply or how to become a business partner, visit waukeeapex.org.

 

Filed Under: Features Tagged With: education, high school, innovation, iowa, learning, school district, waukee

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