Medford School District breaks ground on high school expansion

The Medford Area Public School District celebrated a historical moment on September 5 wth the formal groundbreaking for the high school renovation and expansion project. School board members, community leaders, residents and high school and elementary school students joined in the groundbreaking ceremony that was held where the new two-story addition to the high school will be built over the next year. The addition will house new science and family and consumer education classrooms and include the renovation of other classroom spaces in the high school. The project also includes an expansion of the tech. ed. building connecting it to the main high school building. The projects were part of a referendum approved by voters last fall. District administrator Laura Lundy addressed the crowd of students explaining that earlier this year she was at a town meeting and shared a newsletter with a picture from the dedication of the school forest. “Suddenly a woman in the audience looked at the photo and said, yeah, I was there,” Lundy said. “That students is exactly why you're’ here now, 50 or 60 years from today, I want you to be able to say the very same thing,” Lundy said. She noted that getting to the point of breaking ground on the project was not easy, taking faith, hard work and trust. She said some of the students great-grandparents had the same faith when they voted to build the original school building for $1.7 million in 1965. “And now, here we are, decades later taking the next big step and ironically enough, this project will cost nearly 10 times that amount, but it's proof that our community continues to invest in our future,” Lundy said. “Today, students I ask that you thank your parents, your neighbors and everyone in the community who made this possible. We chose to invest in you and in the generations to come and one day, the responsibility will fall to you. And when that time comes, I hope you'll remember this moment. Because this groundbreaking isn't just about new classrooms or construction, it's about our community. It's about the spirit of working together,” Lundy said. School board president Dave Fleegel noted that projects like the expansion of the high school don’t happen on a whim. He said that at times leading up to projects, there are those who criticize or complain, but after the fact many stand proud of what has been accomplished. Todd Higgins, director of masonry for Miron Construction, also spoke. Higgins is a 1991 graduate of Medford Area Senior High School and is the parent of Medford graduates. “This community has shaped me, my family and so many others, and today marks milestones that will shape its future. We are here to break ground on a project that's more than just bricks and mortar. This is an investment to our students to our educators in the future education in Medford. The additions and renovations to our tech. ed. space, along with new science and skills classrooms, we'll open the doors to learning real world skills and prepare kids for the path they choose,” Higgins said. He went on to say that none of the projects would be possible without the leadership of the school board, Lundy, principal Jill Lybert, facilities manager Adam Schwarz and others. “Our students deserve learning environments to match their potential. Our teachers deserve spaces that support your incredible work that they do every single day. And our community deserves to see the values reflected in the places where we learn and grow together,” he said. Long-time high school science teacher Tracy Swedlund also spoke during the groundbreaking. Swedlund has earned state and national recognition for his teaching skills. “We will soon have modern science, art, technology, education classrooms, as well as consumer education in several remodeled classrooms that will allow our students, to dive into hands-on learning like never before. Imagine our students conducting experiments and labs equipped with the latest tools in technology. Imagine our students exploring culinary arts, building, manufacturing engineering and automotive technology in stimulating, real world environments. Imagine our students building critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills that prepare students for tomorrow's challenges and careers. This renovation project isn't just an addition to our building, it's an investment opportunity and a launch pad for innovation. It's a place where curiosity is ignited, and young minds are empowered to dream bigger.” Swedlund said. Student council president Aliyah Pilgrim also spoke, noting that while there will be inconveniences due to the construction project, in the end it will be worth it. “We know that with construction comes disruption this school year, it's also be different and lots will be changing, but in the end, you know, that'll all be worth it. And I truly believe that we can handle it, because we've already proven that we can, we've made it through the challenges of COVID together you've adapted and kept learning even when everything around us was uncertain,” she said. “That same resilience, that same sense of community is exactly what's going to carry us through this transition. Yes, there'll be some temporary inconveniences. But when we look ahead and picture the new open classrooms and the improved facilities, we know that'll be worth it, every inconvenience, every change in schedule, and even less parking space is all a step towards our future,” she said. Rep. Karen Hurd, who represents the Medford area in the state legislature and serves on the state’s joint finance committee, spoke of her longtime dream to become a teacher and even through her carrier in military and further education in biochemistry and public health, she eventually found her way into the classroom in the role of being a substitute teacher, a role she said she loved doing. “I will do everything that I can in the state assembly and to help every single school in this state, Now all of you students I want to say this to you, knowledge is power, we look at all these superheroes and we watch these movies and we want to be one of those people, I will tell you how you become one of those people. It's through knowledge, the knowledge will bring understanding and understanding wisdom and you students, you are the future of Medford, of Taylor County, of the state of Wisconsin, and the United States of America, God bless each one of you,” Hurd said.