Two major construction projects are transforming Herrin schools, with both the junior high expansion and a new pre-K center nearing completion. Superintendent Nathaniel Wilson, now in his fourth year leading the district, shared updates on these projects that will significantly enhance student experiences.

The junior high expansion, now in its second year of construction, addresses critical space needs identified early in Wilson's tenure. "The junior high cafeteria was extremely small. That cafeteria has been around since the 50s and had been utilized for a smaller school when it was a community school," Wilson explains.

The expansion includes a new appropriately-sized cafeteria that will seat approximately 188 students—a welcome change for a school with 505 students currently packed into three lunch shifts. The cafeteria portion, along with its modernized kitchen, is nearly complete and should be operational by mid-March.

"I think our whole entire junior high staff and students are going to be super proud of that space," Wilson says. "The old kitchen was small too, and not super modern. We bought equipment over the years, but it just needed some upgrading."

A second gymnasium, the other major component of the junior high project, addresses both safety and scheduling concerns. Currently, boys' and girls' physical education classes run together with 60-80 students sharing a single gym. Additionally, basketball, dance, and cheer teams compete for limited practice space, often resulting in evening practices.

"It gives us an opportunity to really give our kids a better environment for their physical education courses," Wilson notes. "Students can really benefit from going to practice right after school and being able to be done by five instead of having to go home, be home for a couple hours, and come back to school at 5 for practice."

While the cafeteria will open in March, the new gymnasium likely won't be completed until the end of the school year due to the time required for the wooden floor installation.

The expansion project also includes replacing parking and playground areas displaced by the new construction. Wilson envisions future phases that would renovate the vacated cafeteria and kitchen spaces for academic use, potentially adding science labs that the junior high currently lacks.

The $6.5 million project is funded primarily through $4.3 million in ESSER (COVID relief) funds, with the remaining $2.2 million coming from the county facility sales tax. "The beauty of it is, when it comes back to local tax money and local taxpayers, it didn't cost them anything," Wilson points out.

On another front, the district's new pre-K center is ahead of schedule and ready to welcome students on March 17th, following spring break. The project involved purchasing and renovating the former Vigiano's fitness center on Weaver Road, transforming 7,600 square feet of open space into three classrooms, administrative offices, an indoor play area, and support facilities.

The pre-K program, funded through Governor Pritzker's Smart Start initiative, addresses Herrin's designation as a "pre-K desert." The district has been temporarily operating the program at Herrin First Baptist Church since August.

"The church has been super helpful, super inviting and welcoming," Wilson says. "They've never charged us for anything for use of their facility."

The new center will house two regular classrooms serving 20 students each in morning and afternoon sessions, plus a third "wraparound" classroom providing extended care for students whose parents work during pickup times. The program also offers transportation to remove barriers for families.

"If a parent says, 'Hey, my kid can go to morning pre-K but has nowhere to go in the afternoon,' we have 20 positions available for that wraparound program," Wilson explains. "That's given at least 40 students a chance to be at pre-K who maybe weren't otherwise able to be."

The site includes 2.5 acres for potential expansion, allowing the district to eventually consolidate its pre-K programs in one location. Meanwhile, work continues on exterior elements including playground equipment being built by high school woodshop classes through the district's career pathways grant.

These projects represent tangible improvements to Herrin's educational infrastructure, addressing immediate space needs while creating opportunities for future growth.

"When you have something you can be proud of and your students and staff and community are proud of something, that's a culture-building piece," Wilson reflects. "And when you have the right culture in a school, you get so much more accomplished from an academic, social, emotional standpoint."