Students at the new Neenah High School have had to adapt to challenges caused by various delays at the beginning of the school year.
No matter how well a construction project is planned out, there are bound to be unforeseen problems that arise. Principal Brian Wunderlich confirmed that 500 Rocket Way was no exception.
Luckily, Neenah students arrived on Sept. 5 to a nearly complete school building, but that did not mean it was entirely done. Multiple delays in the arrival of furniture, required repairs to the athletic field, and supply chain equipment backlogs forced students, staff, and administration to adapt to this unique school year.
On the first day of school, students quickly noticed that there were not quite enough tables for everyone to comfortably enjoy their lunch. While this was frustrating, they were assured that more tables were coming. The school board had planned to include several more tables in the atrium and distributed dining areas; however, the remaining tables were to be decorated with Neenah school branding.
The arrival of these branded tables was an example of one of many delays that can happen during construction. Instead of arriving before the start of the year, the tables arrived in late October. There was a slight issue, however, with two tables that arrived misprinted.
In order to facilitate space requirements during the first two months of school, freshmen and sophomores were temporarily allowed to eat in the distributed dining areas, which were intended for upperclassmen use only, but this alone did not solve the problem. Both the atrium and commons areas were extremely overcrowded at the beginning of the year.
Despite these challenges, Principal Wunderlich said that he was impressed with how students rolled with the lack of lunch seating. “I have been beyond impressed with how our students have rolled with things. […] That’s really allowed us to have a relatively seamless start to the school year considering all of the obstacles.”
A major part of the new Neenah High School is the upgraded athletic facilities and fields. Students have a new weight room overlooking the football field, a massive four-station practice gym, and all-new fields for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and other sports.
As exciting as the new fields seemed to be, last spring people noticed some concerning issues with them as the grass came in. For one, the fields were not draining water properly, leading to a more slippery and unsafe surface for players. Secondly, many large rocks were found in the fields, which can also be unsafe for players.
The fields were not entirely unplayable in their former state, though with time they would quickly become more dangerous. According to a Q&A from Mr. Jim Strick (N.J.S.D Communication Director), the methods used by the subcontractors mean that the fields would not last as long as the school hopes to use them.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s in here in the gym, outside on the turf, on any field, they need to be safe for athletes and our opponents. That’s our number one thing,” Mr. Mike Elkin, the activities director, said. As a result of these safety concerns, athletes have had to play at Neenah Middle School instead.
Thankfully for Neenah athletes, the fields have been undergoing repairs and will be ready for the 2024-’25 school year. After their completion, they should last for decades to come.
It is not only athletes who were challenged in the first year at the new school; music students were also affected. Equipment for music students like chairs and risers, which were supposed to arrive at the start of the year only arrived in late October, near the time the lunch tables arrived.
The delay in the music supplies was because of supply issues on the manufacturer’s end. Among the late supplies were the choral risers and chairs. Before their arrival, choir students used red foldable chairs, which made it harder to sing with proper posture. For singers, it is important to practice proper posture in order to make the best quality sound, but this can be difficult to continuously monitor while singing. Choral chairs have a unique shape, which makes it easier for students to keep up their posture.
The risers are equally helpful for students and teachers. They elevate each row, making students more visible to the teacher during class, and help better organize the choir into different voice parts.
The orchestra students were also challenged because of the delays. According to Orion Erck, a junior and viola player in Concert Orchestra 2, they were missing the chairs, bass stools, instrument cleaner, and even loaner instruments. If multiple students forgot their instrument, they would have to trade off with somebody, or not play for that class period.
Erck and his fellow orchestra members are grateful that their equipment finally arrived. “It has improved our intonation quite a bit, and basses having stools is nice. I play bass, too […] you have to stand a lot, but being able to sit down is nice,” Orion said.
