The Varsity Singers performed Wednesday night for about 50 area residents who enjoyed the rededication of Quakertown Community High School. At right is a cake created by Christopher Polk, who teaches Project Lead the Way and culinary arts classes.
Quakertown celebrates rededication of its high school
Nearly 61 years after its first dedication, the Quakertown Community High School that was rededicated Wednesday night was described as "spectacular" by state Sen. Bob Mensch.
School Board President Paul Stepanoff, Facilities Committee Chairman Stephen Ripper, Superintendent Dr. Bill Harner and Student Council President Ben Ocamb also praised the "new" facility and the community for its support.
A four-phase renovation that began in 2013 was shown off to area residents Wednesday night. It has been rebuilt into a state-of-the-art learning center that houses 1,700 students in grades 9 through 12. The building has been updated with science laboratories and pre-engineering classrooms in response to the District's rigorous STEM curriculum and mission to prepare students for " college and career readiness."
This diverse facility has a college feel with a Cyber Commons area, a lecture hall, a library and media center, a TV studio with an editing and control room, and a photography lab for digital courses. Significant improvements have also been made in the Performing Arts, with the addition of a Dance Studio, black box theater and culinary program.
The high school maximizes space with wider hallways and " locker lobbies," and incorporates " green" concepts by using an underground geothermal heating and cooling system and a rooftop solar power system.
Upgrades have also been made at Alumni Field and in the new sports complex behind the high school.
Before the latest high school improvement began in 2013, renovations took place in 1966, 1972, 1988 and 2002. Talk of upgrading the high school began in 2006 when a Feasibility Study determined it was needed. In 2010, after an in-depth study of the high school was performed by The Architectural Studios, the School Board approved the project.