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

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.