Heschel high school’s student population grows yearly, driving an immediate need for increased space. To address this problem, Heschel’s administration hired an architect to propose a remodeling plan. This remodel plan will occur over ten years and aims to accommodate the growing student body and faculty, but it is unclear how the school will undergo this transformation.
On March 19, students across all grades received an extensive form in which they were asked to describe what needs to be improved in the school to create a more supportive working and learning environment.
Remodeling the building and its amenities will bring significant benefits to the entire student body and faculty, even though it will take approximately ten years to complete.
Currently, due to the large number of freshmen, hallways and stairwells are often packed with students. It is very difficult to move through the hallways during passing time, often making me and other students late to class. Additionally, as students arrive in the morning, elevators are crammed, and the line to scan in causes much delay. This hurts students who are penalized for being late to tefillah.
It is unfair that the administration does not take into account these extensive lines to scan in each morning when tallying students’ lateness. Numerous students, myself included, have been marked late due to these lines. An expanded atrium would make mornings smoother and less stressful for students.
Additionally, Heschel should build a new floor to create more classrooms and resting areas, work to expand the stairwells, and widen hallways, so that students and teachers can get to class on time and easily navigate through spaces.
Although this remodel will be lengthy and challenging, to accommodate for the vast number of students, it is necessary and should be implemented immediately. The need for new classrooms and areas for students relaxation is a current issue that should be resolved within the next year, rather than ten years. Adding a new floor might be unrealistic, but the benefits of having new classrooms and areas for students to relax are evident. With the tuition raising by 4% for next year, Heschel should be able to prepare for this remodel and add necessities it is lacking.
An expansion and remodel will foster a constructive learning and social environment and reduce the stress of potential tardiness. Communal gatherings such as programming and Hachana will be less crowded, too.
This year, our limited space is most challenging on Fridays due to the large number of students travelling to similar places at the same time. Friday lunch is notoriously disorganized, as students and teachers are overflowing out of the cafeteria. This is time consuming and leads to frustration from the student body. Creating a new, larger dining hall would provide a welcoming and comforting space to eat lunch for everyone.
A more spacious environment will provide a healthier atmosphere, alleviate the stress of the student body and make transitions more manageable.