In April, Lakewood High School will be expecting some new renovations, and many are looking forward to the change. The renovations are scheduled to last from April 2021 to August 2022.

“Lakewood was built in the late 1960s. Much of our campus looks like it did when I left in the early ‘80s, so it is definitely time for some modernization,” said principal Erin Savage, who graduated from Lakewood in 1983.

During the construction, floors and ceilings will be renovated and the walls will be painted in each of the wings. Also, CATCOM, AMSET and the CAT auditorium will be getting a few upgrades. Nothing will be torn down, just restored and repaired.

The first wing to be renovated will be C-wing. When the process starts, teachers and students there will be relocated to portables or other empty classrooms.

“Teachers will have to remove everything from their classrooms, which for some of us we consider our rooms/offices our home away from home. It will be a temporary inconvenience, but hopefully the finished product will be worth it,” Savage said.

Some students are concerned about the change.

“I prefer the classroom over the portables because it’s more space and (the portables will) be a higher chance of spreading corona[1]virus. How will we be able to social distance?” freshman Jazzlyn Crapps said.

Some teachers are fine with the plans and think that it doesn’t change anything

“Either is fine with me, as long as I can bring my coffee pot with me,” physical education teacher Cory Moore said.

Since 2017, Lakewood has had other renovations, including the robotics room, the gym and the Hub. That work caused the gym to be closed and students had to be rerouted around the school. Some students said they think the school shouldn’t have waited almost two years to start renovating again.

“I feel like they should’ve continued the construction and not stopped. It would’ve been better to just get it over with,” sophomore Ma’Cayla Williams said.

Some teachers, however, said they are just happy to see it get done.

“I believe it is a process. It takes time, money and cooperation from various partners to pull together a project such as this one. I’m grateful and look forward to the updates made to our one-of[1]a-kind campus,” AVID and HOPE teacher Chantella Moore said.

Still, in the middle of a pandemic some are skeptical of the renovations during these uncertain times. They wonder if it’s safe or not.

“Having construction done while in a pandemic is a risky situation. Strangers will be entering our campus. How will we know if they’re coronavirus free? Then again how do we know if anybody is,” Williams said.