A PLACE TO FOSTER MOMENTUM: Building a Better Bayless

The past three years have been challenging for our schools, community and society. But through these tough times, everyone at Bayless Schools worked to stay on task for our students, staff and community. Our hard work is showing academically and visibly with our new Junior High School addition. As the project nears the finish line, our Junior High School, and our district, have a renewed sense of momentum looking toward the future.

In 2019, when voters approved the bonds to build the Junior High Addition, the thought of pandemics, lock-downs, social distancing and COVID-19 were simply not on anyone’s mind. As plans for the new addition unfolded, it be - came clear Bayless would be building through an extraordinarily difficult time. From the early uncertainty contractors had in staffing projects to significant supply chain disruptions, the project moved forward steadily and methodically. Today, the project is nearly finished — and the results are magnificent.

This new space is so important to our students and operations that we moved two classrooms and our counselors into new spaces on Wednesday, March 8th, the same day St. Louis County issued our occupancy permit. Over the next week, three additional classrooms were moved to accommodate classes. The full move-in process will happen over the summer because the additional space allows our teachers and administrators to rearrange all of our classrooms in a thought-out manner to better serve our students.

The results are impressive. At just under 30,000 square feet, the new addition doubles the size of the original building, which was built in 1934 as part of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Works Progress Admin - istration. The new addition was designed to complement the look and feel of the original building designed by architect Marcel Boulicault. In fact, Boulicault had visualizations in 1932 which hinted the original building might be expanded to the east. The back page of this magazine has one of the drawings. The idea expressed in 1932 has become reality 90 years later with the addition of 22 educational spaces and a renovated cafeteria. These spaces will allow BJH students to remain in the school building instead of transitioning to the High School for classes. Among the featured areas is a new band room and four specially-designed science laboratory classrooms. In addition, the building includes a ICC-500 storm shelter that can accommodate all students, faculty and staff in the event emergency shelter is needed during severe weather.

While we are proud of this new space for our students, we are humbled by the continued support and encouragement we receive from the Bayless community. This newest addition makes a world of difference to our students and teachers, but we can promise that our work continues both academically and on our facilities to make Bayless the best school district in the state.