Cedar Springs — Big things are coming to Cedar Springs Public Schools as the district nears the finish line on two major construction projects, both of which are expected to wrap up soon.
The larger of the two projects is the near-complete rebuild of Beach Elementary, one of the oldest buildings in the district. The Beach project was the big-ticket item in the district’s $68 million 2020 bond.
The other project — also funded with bond dollars — is the construction of a new athletic wing at Cedar Springs High School.
Both projects have gone smoothly and on schedule, said Diane Druckenmiller, the district’s assistant director of operations and logistics.
“I think overall they’ve gone great,” Druckenmiller said. “Our community’s been really patient and receptive. … We’ve been really blessed in that way.”
‘The experience and the improvement we’ll be able to give to our students is just elevated so much because of these bond projects.’
— Diane Druckenmiller, assistant director of operations and logistics
Beach Elementary
The Beach Elementary project involved the demolition and reconstruction of most of the 1960s-built second- and third-grade school; a few wings were merely refurbished, Druckenmiller said.
The project has been in progress for about a year and a half, beginning with the construction of a prototype wing at the end of the 2023-24 school year. It’s expected to be complete on Aug. 18, ahead of the start of school on Aug. 20, she said.
The new building will boast a safe and secure entrance and vestibule; communal learning spaces and breakout rooms; lockers with cubbies for students’ boots and hooks for coats; wider hallways; a spacious new media center that allows students to look out at the campus; classroom libraries; and an upgraded kitchen and cafeteria.
The Beach campus will also feature new playground spaces and an upgraded technology infrastructure.
Security was a major focus of the project, Druckenmiller said. In addition to the upgraded entrance, the building’s new layout will allow for better security-camera coverage.
“There was a lot of intention that went into the building and making sure it’s the right building for our kids,” Druckenmiller said.
New Sports Complex
At the high school, work is wrapping up on an athletic expansion project being added to the east side of the gymnasium. It will add new spaces for wrestling, cheer and weightlifting, along with turf, batting cages and more.
“It’s kind of a sports complex,” Druckenmiller said. “It’s going to be awesome.”
The athletic expansion should be finished sometime in the fall.
Both projects, she said, will greatly benefit the Cedar Springs community.
“At the end of the day, the experience and the improvement we’ll be able to give to our students is just elevated so much because of these bond projects,” she said. “The difference is astronomical.”
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