Gallery • 4 Photos

Colin Boyle

Photo credit: Colin Boyle

Contrasting colored staircases are the most noticeable renovation to Lane, but there have been many changes over the summer with still more to come next year.

An email from Mr. Ara, Lane’s assistant principal, was sent during the summer to the teachers regarding construction and renovation changes.

Ara announced that, “the contractor has made tremendous progress on the construction project.”

Many exterior (caulking the brick) and interior changes (painting classrooms) have been made both inside and outside. Construction at Lane is still planned to end in two years.

“The contractor has demo’ed old roofing and placed the first layer of roofing (making them now water-tight) at about half of the flat roofs.” Ara wrote. “The old broken slate tile roofs on the north and east facades have been replaced with new shingles. The clock tower has been refurbished as well.”

Changes to the inside of the school have made everyone’s days a little brighter, literally, especially as students walk up the stairs.

M is orange.
Z is tan.
A is a purple.
D is green.
H is light blue.
O is beige.
J is purple.

“All the corridors and stairwells were painted. The stairwells now have their own accent color to differentiate them from each other,” Ara wrote. “This should help freshmen and other newcomers orient themselves in this large school.”

Additionally, many classrooms were painted and renovated.

“Inside the building, they have completed lead abatement of peeling paint throughout the school. You’ll notice in some rooms where walls have been patched. These areas were environmentally abated,” Ara said.

In addition, certain classroom have been given extra love. Science labs 119, 123, and 125, were renovated. They were fully redone with new flooring, ceilings, lights, emergency showers, cabinets, and furniture.

Lane has also made the whole school up to standards for the Americans with Disability Act protocol.

“Each of the student restrooms were upgraded with ADA stalls. In some cases, they replaced toilets, sinks, and partitions. Several classroom doors throughout the school were replaced to make them ADA accessible,” Ara wrote. “Another ADA improvement that was done is a new elevator that goes up to the greenhouse on the 4th floor. With this new elevator, every space in the school is now ADA accessible.”

Renovations to look forward this year to include ribbon cutting to a new Clark Park, all new windows with new blinds, and air conditioning to every classroom according to the email.

Next summer, contractors will be wrapping up any final masonry work, roofing, and windows, replacing all outside doors, painting all classrooms, and replacing new tile in first floor corridors.

Lane will be a building with traditional exterior with a sleek modern interior.

As Ara says, “We’re looking forward to the end result of all this hard work!”