Redington school readies for fall opening

KNIK — As construction continues, community members and administrators are starting to see the uniqueness of Redington Jr./Sr. High School in more tangible ways.

During a tour of the school last week, presenters from the Mat-Su Borough, Collins Construction, Wolf Architecture, PND Engineers and RSA Engineering brought attention to the environmentally friendly and sustainable aspects of the building, several tech-savvy spaces, and the inclusion of art both new and old.

According to a project document distributed onsite, more than 50 percent of the materials used in construction of the school are sustainable, recycled or local products — purchased at about equal cost as traditional, less “green” materials.

The document also reports a 50 percent cut in annual energy costs for the future of the building.

“These are significant energy savings,” said Jason Collins of Wolf Architecture in Palmer.

Furthermore, more than 80 percent — 80 tons — of construction waste is recycled, compared to the traditional 10 percent to 20 percent, he said.

But what Redington is made of will not only be determined by its structural and energy-saving building materials.

In addition to a small, digitally friendly library on the second floor, Redington School has a “cyber lab” and two computer labs in the building, as well as various “shared project areas” for small group work. There will be wireless connectivity everywhere.

School district Superintendent Dr. Deena Paramo said it’s all a part of “just moving into this 21st century.”

“The design (of the school) is really geared to how kids connect more now, and how they work,” Paramo said.

It may even reflect the future workplaces of today’s students, she said.

While the risk of student distraction with the use of smartphones for recreational purposes seems great, Paramo said the payoff for students and teachers will be greater. Teachers and students won’t have to vie for just one room and can work quietly alone, in small groups or as multi-class collaborations without worrying about not having wireless connectivity or access to media tools in their space.

The addition to Mat-Su Career and Technical High School has similar capabilities, with an open media center and at least one open concept “classroom.”

The project manager for that school, Robert Scott, spoke to the distraction issue during a walk-through last fall by saying students will respect what is entrusted to them at such a school.

Dr. Paramo said it’s really a matter of how students respond to school choice.

Redington will be the 49th school in the district, one of 10 high schools in the Valley (not including the “non-traditional” Alaska Middle College School for juniors and seniors). While some people may fear the new schools will be the end of longstanding institutions — such as Palmer High School, whose football team was recently knocked down from the large schools class to become a “medium” school, based on enrollment — Paramo said each school has something special to draw students in.

“It’s really not about Palmer itself losing kids, it’s about increasing opportunities for kids to learn where they like,” she said.

At Palmer, she said, it’s the International Baccalaureate program and agricultural classes, for example. Redington, however, will have facilities for welding, woodshop, pottery and weight lifting that some other schools don’t have.

Paramo also mentioned that the district had 283 new students last year, and the majority of general population growth is happening in the Knik-Fairview area.

“I don’t see us slowing down,” she said.

Also, next year, the school district intends to open up a mid-day transportation service for high school students from their home school to schools like Redington and Career Tech, or any other public school in the Valley. That way, students can maintain connections with their friends, teachers and core classes at their home school and take specialized courses that may only be offered at a different school.

Paramo said this service will come at no extra cost, as the district intends to simply reroute the buses that transport pre-school and special needs students in the morning to include afternoon transportation for students traveling between high schools.

“We’re being very creative with what we already have,” Paramo said.

That includes the potential décor for the Redington school. Project Manager Bob Bechtold and Barb Redington, daughter-in-law of Joe Redington Sr. — for whom the school is named — both said there’s a good chance some “artifacts from the Redington archives” will be on display in the finished building.

“I think it’s a really nice honor and tribute to Joe,” Redington said.

Complementing the historic pieces will be works designed by local artists as part of the federal Percent for Art program for public buildings. Five artists have been selected to create pieces around the theme “Choosing a Trail to Higher Learning,” keeping the school’s mascot — a husky — and school colors — “spirit” green and navy blue — in mind.

The school board has named Houston High School Assistant Principal Justin Ainsworth as the school’s principal and Palmer Junior Middle School Principal Tom Lytle as the assistant principal at Redington for the 2015-16 school year.

Bechtold said the school will be open to sixth through 10th grade students this fall, and will likely host a student population of about 350, increasing ultimately to 550, with junior and senior students as the initial sophomore class is promoted.

Teachers have not yet been hired but student schedules are being prepared, according to Public Information Officer Catherine Esary.

A $214 million school bond passed in 2011, which has funded Valley Pathways, Mat-Su Day School, the Career Tech addition and now Redington School, is currently 45 percent complete, with an additional 12 percent of the money under contract, according to Capital Projects Director Mike Brown.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.