Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Iowa High School Breaks Ground on New Music Wing

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/14/22

Keokuk High School in Keokuk, Iowa, recently began construction on a new wing to provide additional space to the fine arts department. The 8,000-square-foot addition will be built onto the school’s science building and feature two ensemble rooms, spaces for band and choir, administrative space, an auxiliary room and storage. The project comes with an estimated $4-million price tag and is expected to be complete by November.

“Everything our fine arts department needs will be in that wing,” said Principal Adam Magliari. He said the expansion has been on the school’s radar for years and will greatly benefit the 75 students who participate in the school’s choir and band. “Our students are thrilled. It’s been over 30 years since they had a new practice facility. Most people don’t know it, but our show choir is in our cafeteria. That affects every student in your building.”

Funding for the project is coming from the SAVE Fund, which provides state sales tax revenue for improvements to school infrastructure.

“We have a long-lasting tradition of fine arts and competing across the state. Many, many trophies and many awards have come out of our program here, and so it’s been a long time coming to have that area where they can practice,” Magliari said.

The district is partnering with construction manager Carl A. Nelson & Company.

“This year, we are building this new performance center outside the science wing for our music programs,” said Student Council President Abigale Wolter at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, March 9. “I know that limited space has been a recurring issue for these [music] programs, and this new addition will solve all those problems. It will also help programs like Little Feathers and Color Guard; it will give them a place to practice when the gym is being used for other activities.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.