Chicago-area students return to new cafeteria

Dust will take another semester to settle from the construction at Deerfield High School, but students, faculty, staff and the rest of the community can begin enjoying the benefits of a year's worth of building on the first day of classes.

The school has been undergoing its share of the $114 million Township High School District 113 renovation project for just over a year. Students will be rewarded with a renovated cafeteria and commons and a new gym among, other improvements, when school opens Aug. 26.

"The project is going very well," Assistant Principal Ken Williams said. "It's on pace and on budget. When the students return they're going to be very pleased."

So far the district has spent $29,731,000, according to Jennifer Waldorf, director of communications and alumni relations.

The best thing about the cafeteria in August and early September may be the addition of air conditioning, according to Williams. He said there can be as many as 550 teens eating lunch there at a given time.

"It can be very hot that time of year," Williams said. "It will be a much more pleasant place to be in."

Another thing making the cafeteria and commons pleasant is new LED lighting, Williams said. It will be brighter than before and less electricity will be consumed.

When plans were originally drawn for the new three-court gymnasium, it was going to be used for physical education and not things like interscholastic athletics. Williams said that changed along the way to include bleachers. The old gym held 1,600 while the new facility will seat 2,000.

"The new gym is going to be a place where we can now have an all-school assembly," Williams said. "We couldn't do that before."

Still on the list for completion as the first semester progresses are the new library and pool. By the time they are done in December and the builders do most of their cleanup work, the parking lot barriers will be removed and there may be some additional student parking spaces, according to Williams.

He said the high school parking lot won't have room for all of the juniors, but will accomodate all of the seniors. Deerfield will hold a lottery for the remaining spaces.

While work continues into December on the new library, students will continue to use the temporary space. Williams said books and other materials needed for courses offered in the fall semester are available there while the rest is in storage.