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Welcome to Henley Elementary
S U N D A Y, J A N U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6
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Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
HERALDANDNEWS.COM
WELCOME TO THE NEW
HENLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
Welcome to Henley Elementary
1929 HENLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Inside: FIRST IN 40: Community rallies behind project to build new Henley Elementary. Page 3
Klamath County Museum photo
2016 HENLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
COMMUNITY: Barn loft basketball court reveals beginnings of Henley Complex history. Page 6 LOCAL: Nearly 60 percent of Henley’s construction budget stayed local. Page 9 TIMELINE: A look back at Henley Elementary’s roots and project history. Page 13 IDENTITY: New elementary has school pride. Page 17 NEW SCHOOL: Henley teachers, students excited for move to new facility. Page 20 THANKFUL: Henley family excited and grateful for new facility. Page 22 On the cover: An aerial view of the Henley Elementary school project is seen during October 2015. Adkins Engineering photo
H&N photo by Samantha Tipler
Henley Elementary Principal Janell Preston shows students how to enter their new school when they arrive on the first day, Jan. 4. Individual classes toured the new school in December.
Welcome to Henley Elementary
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
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Walking into a brand new school Community rallies behind project to build first new county school in 40 years By SAMANTHA TIPLER H&N Staff Reporter
M
onday will be a historic day for Henley Elementary, the Klamath County School District and the Klamath Basin. For the first time in decades, students will walk into a brand new school.
H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
First impressions: Henley Elementary opened its doors to the public for the first time on Dec. 19. People perused the new classrooms, hallways, cafeteria and library getting to see new school firsthand.
“It had been so long. It had been 40 years since we had a new school in Klamath County,” said Ray Holliday, spokesman for the bond campaign that funded the new Henley Elementary. “Due to the age of the schools, they were just wearing out.” The ‘newest’ school in the Klamath County School District before now was Keno Elementary, built in 1976. Voters passed the $31 million county-wide bond in May 2013. Since May 2014, construction has been underway at the new building. “It’s the first new school in this area since the early- to mid-’70s. It was greatly needed. It’s something we just haven’t seen in a long time,” said Thom Darrah, project manager with Bogatay Construction. Bogatay was the local partner for P&C Construction, the construction manager general contractor on the new school. “The need and the desire to
focus on local participation, now that we’re at the end, I can step back and say I’m proud we were able to help in achieving that goal to the extent we were.” “The community, through all phases of this project, have been extremely important in its success,” said superintendent Greg Thede. “When people get a chance to go into the school, look around, and see it’s a beautiful facility, I have no doubt the community is going to be proud.” “The community invested in this project. They passed the bond. They’re paying the bills,” said Janell Preston, Henley Elementary principal. “I want to tell the community thank you. Thank you for voting yes and letting us see this through in designing a real, traditional school for these students. Thank you.”
Cont. on page 4
‘I want to tell the community thank you. Thank you for voting yes and letting us see this through in designing a real, traditional school for these students. Thank you.’ Janell Preston, Henley Elementary principal
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Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
Welcome to Henley Elementary
2006: This photo shows Henley Elementary while the roof was being replaced. A rainstorm damaged the building to such an extent the Klamath County School District closed it and later demolished it in 2010.
‘They didn’t have a secure campus. They didn’t have a building with secure walls. They didn’t have a lunchroom. They didn’t have a gymnasium. They just didn’t have a school as we in America believe they should have.’ — Ray Holliday, school bond campaign spokesman
Klamath County Museum photo
Cont. from page 3
The first Henley Elementary school was built in 1929. The historic building served students for nearly 100 years, until 2006 when a rainstorm damaged the school while the roof was being replaced. During efforts to repair the extensive storm damage, asbestos particles were discovered. The district condemned the school and demolished it in 2010. Since 2007, students have attended class in a dozen modular buildings on the Henley Complex campus. Each modular hosts two classrooms. Students walk to the high school for lunch and PE, and to the middle school for breakfast. “They didn’t have a secure campus. They didn’t have a building with secure walls,” Holliday said. “They didn’t have a lunchroom. They didn’t have a gymnasium. They just didn’t have a school as we in America believe they should have.” When voters approved the bond, it changed everything for Henley Elementary. “Passing that bond and building a new school, I felt at that time, that we were at a tipping point in this community,” Holliday said. “We needed a push. I felt like the bond committee was a tipping point.” “And it wasn’t just Henley people. A lot of people who had a traditional school for their children,” Preston said, “saw the need for us here to have a real school and have all the facilities and amenities that other students have.” Looking forward: What does Holliday want to see in Henley Elementary? “Filling it with kids. And it being there for decades to come,” Holliday said.
After 19 months of construction, students, teachers and staff couldn’t wait to start in the new school. “We are so excited. We’ve been counting down the days,” Preston said. “Very excited. The students are very excited. They talk mostly about having their own gym and having their own cafeteria. And they are also eager to see the new playground equipment, very eager.” On Dec. 19, many families took their first look inside the new school and were amazed at what they saw. Those who helped build the school saw how important it is to the community. “I’ve seen a lot of people with second and third generation kids. Grandparents went to school here, parents went to school,” Steve Ander-
son, project manager with P&C Construction, said on the day of the open house. “What I sense is that the older generation is so enthused to see what the younger generation now has. I think that’s the pride everybody sees: now our kids and our grandkids can go to this kind of school. It’s that kind of enthusiasm and pride that makes me proud to contribute to that.” “I think it’s going to be a place for our kids to go, and maybe eventually their kids to go, too,” said Dusty DeLonge, husband of Henley teacher Jessica DeLonge and father of Henley students. “It’s new. It’s going to be here for a long time. I think it’s great for the community.” Cont. on page 5
H&N file photo by Samantha Tipler
In the elements: While attending school in modulars, Henley Elementary students spent a lot of time outside walking to breakfast, lunch and PE at other schools, as well as walking between modular buildings.
Welcome to Henley Elementary Cont. from page 4
The Janney family came to open house, too. Eric Janney served on the bond committee and the design committee. Andrea Janney graduated from Henley. Their three children, Chris, 9, Joe, 7, and Allie, 5, all attend Henley Elementary. “For our kids I think you’re going to see a payoff,” said Andrea Janney. “You’re going to see a generation of kids that are excited to be here and excited to go to school. It’s going to pay off.” What’s next: Opening a new Henley Elementary is a new beginning. School officials, those who helped pass the bond and those who helped build it hope it is the start of a new standard of schools in the Klamath Basin. “The fact we did such a good job on this one: it’s a school that’s going to last, it’s built to last, it doesn’t have any fluff in it. It’s a very Klamathlike school,” Holliday said. “It’s going to be around for many, many years. The maintenance cost will be low. It’s going to be energy efficient. I think in a few years we’ll be talking about another one somewhere else.” Darrah noted how almost 60 percent of the work was done by local companies and employees. That is another feather in Henley Elementary’s cap, and shows how a new school can impact the economy as well. “I hope the community as a whole can see these projects can be kept local to a great extent. And that this is the first of many that is needed as far as upgrades and replacement of existing schools,” Darrah said. “Hopefully it’ll result in stronger support to Klamath County schools
on future bond measures.” Preston hopes seeing the new school hits home for Klamath families, both those at Henley and those attending other schools in the Basin. “I hope they take a look and say, ‘Yes, I want this for my student,’” Preston said. “We can move forward and open more of these new schools. Schools that are safe, that are adequate with heating and cooling, and provide a good learning environment for students.” “Down the road this may, in the future, cause people to say, ‘You know what? I’d like to have one of those for our kids.’ ‘Maybe we can do this again.’ Or, ‘It is really important to have schools that look good, that are energy efficient, that are well maintained,’” Thede said. “What I’m hoping for in the future — I know the board is hoping for in the future — is the community gets to look at this project and say: this is important. It’s important to have good schools and schools that look good and are built well. Hopefully down the road this may lead to passing other bonds to address needs we have in our district.” “Eventually we’re going to need more schools. We still have a very aging district. It’s a challenge to maintain them. I really hope people look at it and go: Look at what we can do. We built this school,” Holliday said. “Let’s keep up the good work. There are legions of people working hard to improve this community. We all need to be involved. We all need to be behind the effort … So everybody who voted for it, and the people that didn’t, let’s all work together.”
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
H&N file photo by Samantha Tipler
Looking up: Workers began installing the Douglas fir wood ceilings at Henley Elementary in April 2015. The wood adds a natural contrast to the steel and concrete bones of the new school.
stipler@heraldandnews.com @TiplerHN
‘There are legions of people working hard to improve this community. We all need to be involved. We all need to be behind the effort ....’ — Ray Holliday School bond campaign spokesman
900 Klamath Ave, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
(541) 884-7421
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Welcome to Henley Elementary
Built for the Henley
community Barn loft basketball court reveals beginnings of Henley Complex history
By SAMANTHA TIPLER H&N Staff Reporter
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hen Ronald C. Short decided to renovate his family’s barn near the Henley Complex, he found something that brought him back to the past. “I got all the old hay stuff cleared off the floor of the hayloft, there were all these markings of a basketball court,” he said. “They’d been painted on with just a paintbrush and black paint.” His barn once belonged to his grandfather, Robert Columbus Short. His grandfather was one of the original founders of Henley school, a one-room schoolhouse built in 1910. Before there was a basketball court, the team played in the hayloft of the barn. “If you wanted to attend a game you’d stand alongside,” he said. Short attended the open house at the brand new Henley Elementary on Dec. 19. He and his wife Kathleen toured the state-of-the-art school and marveled at how far it had come. The school moved to the current complex when the district bought land from the Henley family. Now it hosts Henley High School, Henley Middle School and the brand new Henley Elementary.
Klamath County Museum photo
This photo provided by the Klamath County Museum show the 1929 Henley Elementary. It was condemned in 2006 and demolished in 2010.
1929 school to modular buildings: “The original school was built I believe in 1929. Had been around for a long time. As old buildings do, they get old and require maintenance,” said Klamath County School District Superintendent Greg Thede. In 2006 the district decided to put a new roof on the old school. In August, disaster struck. “I had just become superintendent. I remember it like yesterday,” Thede said. “We had a thundershower come through and the temporary cover on the roof was blown off and it was basically raining inside the old building.” The damage was extensive. During efforts to repair the water damage, asbestos particles were discovered and the district decided to close the building. It considered putting Henley students in other schools, but the community said no. They didn’t want to break up the Henley Complex. Cont. on page 7
Welcome to Henley Elementary
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
Cont. from page 6
That fall, elementary students attended class in Henley High School. They sectioned off parts of the small gym and library into classrooms. It stayed that way until March, 2007, when the district brought in the modular buildings. In 2010, the district condemned the 1929 building and demolished it. “There was not a plan in place at the time they demolished it for a new building,” Henley Elementary principal Janell Preston said. “The plan for a new building didn’t arise until the school district and community members decided to push forward on the bond.” Students began attending school in modular buildings in 2007. What was originally thought to be temporary became permanent. “We had been in the modulars around eight years and had just decided that they served their purpose,” Thede said. “We needed to have a more permanent fix.”
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H&N file photo by Samantha Tipler
‘Vote YES’: In 2013, community leaders with the Citizens for Klamath County Schools PAC worked to pass a bond for construction of a new Henley Elementary school.
Passing the bond: The district tried for a bond in 2006, but it was unsuccessful. One reason: It cost too much at $71.5 million. Klamath Falls City Schools
asked for a bond at the same time, and at that time the two districts overlapped. Taxpayers were confused about how much they would pay for each bond, so they turned both down.
In 2013, it was a different story. “I learned we needed to scale back the scope of the project,” Thede said. “The centerpiece had to be a new Henley Elementary school.” The Klamath County School Board settled on an amount of $31 million, with about $20 million dedicated to Henley Elementary. The rest went to fixes and remodels to schools around the district. Another lesson Thede learned: get the community speaking for you. Leaders such as Todd Kepple, who ran the Citizens for Klamath County Schools PAC, and Ray Holliday, business owner, backed up the idea of passing a school bond.
Cont. on page 8
Congratulations Henley! We are proud to have been a part of this wonderful project! 1317 East Main Street 1-800-772-8386 • 541-884-8196 www.BasinGlassAndAluminum.com
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Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
Welcome to Henley Elementary
Workers with Diversified Contractors add framing and insulation to the Ferguson Elementary gym walls in June. Repairs and upgrades at county schools were included in the $31 million bond passed in 2013.
‘It was, really, historical. Not only just in having passed one (a school construction bond) — something we hadn’t done in 40 years — but to think about the affect this is going to have on this community for generations to come.’
Members of the Citizens for Klamath Schools PAC and other supporters of the $31 million bond for facility upgrades in the Klamath County School District celebrate when “yes” votes for the bond moved ahead just after 9 p.m. on election night May 21, 2013.
— Ray Holliday School bond campaign spokesman
Cont. from page 7
“We were all very passionate about what we were doing,” Holliday said. “We were a group of community people that really just wanted to make it happen.” “All of us who worked on the campaign for the bond measure knew it would be hard to win a ‘yes’ vote,” Kepple said. “But we also knew the conditions at Henley were completely unacceptable, and that all our schools needed some fundamental improvements.” The PAC used TV advertising, billboards, newspaper ads, radio, speeches and in general worked to educate the community about the
H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
condition of the district’s schools. “A tremendous amount of work went into the campaign,” Kepple said, “but we had a great crew, and we enjoyed working together for something we all believed was vitally important for the future of our community, regardless of how the vote might turn out.” Holliday said he thought people would bristle at the idea of paying for a bond and argue about raising taxes. “All the complaints we’ve heard over the years about the school district, they kind of went away,” Holliday said. “The majority of people saw that there was a real need in the community and it was a step we
needed to take.” Election night: On election night, Holliday was late to join the party. He was at the Ross Ragland for the first part of the evening, and when he headed to join the rest of the committee at Sergio’s Mexican Restaurant, things were looking down. In early results from the county clerk’s office, the “no” votes were leading. “I had come to peace with the fact it wasn’t going to happen,” Holliday said. “After about 15 or 20 minutes some new results came in. And we were making up ground. Then after a while we were even. Then we were ahead a little. Then we were ahead even more.”
As the night wore on, the “yes” votes got ahead by about 50. By the time all the votes were counted, the bond passed by a 150-vote margin. “It felt really good. But it was a roller coaster,” Thede said. “It was very close — but just enough to get us over the top. A lot of us were watching on TV together and were just ecstatic and very happy and proud we were able to get this done.” “It was, really, historical,” Holliday said. “Not only just in having passed one — something we hadn’t done in 40 years — but to think about the affect this is going to have on this community for generations to come.”
stipler@heraldandnews.com @TiplerHN
Welcome to Henley Elementary
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
Local hands
build a local school Nearly 60 percent of Henley’s construction budget stayed local
H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
During a 2013 planning meeting for the new school, community members sent an overwhelming message that they wanted the facility to be built by locals.
By SAMANTHA TIPLER H&N Staff Reporter
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orkers with Modoc Contracting spent 54 weeks building the new Henley Elementary school. That’s more than a year of work for the company that employs 48 people in the Klamath Basin.
In May 2015 workers began laying brick on Henley Elementary’s outside facade.
‘It’s a project that’s going to be here longer than Modoc Contracting, most likely. With everybody in the community seeing it, participating in the bond, or children going to school. It’s just a great overall project for us.’ Dave Lockwood vice president and owner, Modoc Contracting
“It’s a project that’s going to be here longer than Modoc Contracting, most likely,” said vice president and owner Dave Lockwood, “with everybody in the community seeing it, participating in the bond, or children going to school. It’s just a great overall project for us.” Modoc workers framed all the interior walls, installed drywall, painted the inside of the entire school, put up the acoustic ceilings and placed the sound-absorbing panels. “Keeping local guys busy for the past year, we’ve had no layoffs,” Lockwood said. “It’s been a really great project. We’ve had a lot to do.” At a community meeting in October 2013, just six months after voters passed the $31 million bond which included about $20 million for Henley Elementary, the community told the Klamath County School District loud and clear: they wanted a school built by local hands. Cont. on page 11
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Welcome to Henley Elementary
What went into the new Henley Elementary school: More than:
62,000 cubic feet of concrete 200 tons of steel (or 400,000 pounds) 1,000 gallons of paint 135,000 bricks on the outside of the building 125 window units
Total size of the building: 60,000 square feet Total number of concrete tilt-up walls: 139 16,800 square feet of snowmelt 120,000 square feet of sod on the play field
More than 400,000 man hours went into building the new school. The maximum number of workers on site in one day was 78.
*Information from P&C Construction, the construction manager general contractor on the Henley Elementary project, Klamath County School District, and other subcontractors on the project.
Dollars and cents: $31 million
Total Klamath County School District bond, which included projects at schools throughout the district.
$19.4 million Estimated cost of new Henley Elementary
$20.3 million Actual cost of Henley Elementary The school district made specific choices in upping the cost of the school. Those were: $527,872 — cost to pre-load the site of the school with rock. This solidified the ground under the school and prevented future settling of the foundation. It made the school more stable. $402,430 — upgrade the roof to a 50-year lifespan. $270,000 — upgrades to technology: computers, projection boards, phones, security
Local participation: $31 million Total Klamath County School District bond
$26.9 million Spent so far
$18.2 million
Strong bones: Concrete and steel core used in construction of new Henley Elementary school When Henley Elementary was first under construction, a lot happened under the surface as workers installed utilities and foundation. In the fall of 2014, they poured concrete for months. Then in December of that year, everything changed. Big cranes arrived on site and lifted 139 concrete panels into the air, forming the first walls of the school. “You really didn’t think it was going to happen until you saw those tilt-up walls going up,” said Klamath County School District Superintendent Greg Thede. “Then you knew. It was an exciting time. I think everybody finally realized, this is really going to happen in our district for the first in 40 years and it was really a great thing.” The bones of Henley Elementary are made of concrete and steel. Its metal roof is built to last 50 years. It uses Henley Complex geothermal heat to warm the entire building. The walls are insulated to keep the heat in in the winter and out in the summer. “Structurally the school is concrete and steel. There is no wood framing. The core of the building is concrete footings and floor, tilt-up concrete structural panels and steel wall and roof framing, metal stud framing,” said Thom Darrah, project manager with Bogatay Construction. “It’s state-of-the art for a school built in 2015. You can’t even compare the type of construction used on this
facility compared to the schools built in the ‘70s or earlier. The design goal was for a school that was modern, long lasting and energy efficient.” “The concrete and the steel, those are materials that are going to last for a really long time,” said Steve Anderson, project manager with P&C Construction, the construction manager general contractor on Henley Elementary which partnered with Bogatay Construction on the project. “This building is going to be in the community for a long, long time. The more we can invest in a long, durable, maintenance friendly facility, the fewer dollars the school district is going to have to spend every year to upkeep and renew things,” said Steve Olson, principal in charge with Dull Olson Weekes — IBI Group Architects, which designed the school. Olson listed the metal roof, the metal panels and brick on the outside walls as ways the school will stand the test of time. “All-in-all I think we’re going to deliver a project the community can be very proud of. We’re delivering what we said we would deliver to the public,” said Thede. “A building that’s 60,000 square feet, that will serve at least 525 students, that’s energy efficient, that’s built to last, low maintenance, that was constructed by our local subs and contractors.”
Proudly Serving the Klamath BaSin for 15 yearS Your Locally Owned
Spent locally
68.5 percent of the dollars have been spent locally
* Information provided by Renee Ferguson, business manager, Klamath County School District. These are the most recent numbers available, as of Oct. 31, 2015.
2380 So. 6th St, Klamath FallS, oR •
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Welcome to Henley Elementary
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
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‘Nearly 60 percent of the construction budget has stayed with local sub-contractors. And by local I am referring to Klamath Falls based sub-contractors. That’s a huge win for the community and for the school district.’ Thom Darrah project manager Bogatay Construction
Cont. from page 9
The school, along with Bogatay Construction and P&C Construction, the construction manager general contractor on the project, have worked to make that happen wherever possible. “Nearly 60 percent of the construction budget has stayed with local sub-contractors,” said Thom Darrah, project manager with Bogatay. “And by local I am referring to Klamath Falls based subcontractors. That’s a huge win for the community and for the school district.” Klamath Basin workers: “The notion of keeping the construction local to the greatest degree possible, we heard that loud and clear from the community. ‘This is our school. We want to work on it. We want to keep the dollars here in the community.’” said Steve Olson, principal in charge with Dull
Olson Weekes — IBI Group Architects, which designed the school. “The contractors that worked on the project worked very hard at involving local contractors, local workers, so it was a very local, Klamath Basin effort to build this school. I think everyone here should be very proud of that.” “It was very important and satisfying to construct this and complete it,” said Bob Mest, estimator with Powley Plumbing. The company of seven employees installed all the under-slab plumbing, all the plumbing and fixtures throughout the school, the snowmelt system and the commercial kitchen. “They were good about trying to keep a lot of the work local,” said Toni Hand, who owns Quality Electric with her husband, Lawrence. Their company of 18 employees installed all the electrical infrastructure at the new school and worked the project the whole way through. “The county schools made
sure the subs got paid.” “From a local job standpoint, it allowed several people to be directly assigned to it over a period of several years,” said Jeremy Morris, partner with Adkins Consulting Engineering. Cont. on page 12
Project updates: Thom Darrah, project manager with Bogatay Construction, kept the public up-to-date with how Henley Elementary was coming along during the 19-monthlong construction process. H&N file photo by Samantha Tipler
Established 1975
541-882-0364
CCB #71735 • Plumbing Business 18-21PB Bonded & Insured • CA #622815
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Welcome to Henley Elementary
Court time: Workers (right) install sound panels inside the Henley Elementary gym in December.
Local subcontractors:
Top coat: Workers (bottom right) painted the ceilings and walls of the gym and cafeteria in October.
Basin Glass and Aluminum Bell Hardware Bob’s Excavating Bogatay Construction Clear View window cleaning Fremont Millwork Head Painting & Concrete Metal Masters Modoc Contracting Morello Construction Powley Plumbing Quality Electric Rhine-Cross surveying Rocky Mountain Construction School Specialty furniture assembly Service Master cleaning Southern Oregon Concrete Pumping Superior Fence Wet-N-Wild Sprinklers Winema Electric Win-R Insulation Vetter Cabinet Instillation Viking Concrete
Smooth finish: A Worker (below) sands the wood floor in the new Henley Elementary gym in November. When students start in the new school, it will be the first time since 2006 they have had their own gym. H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
Cont. from page 11
The company that employs 21 local engineers, surveyors and technicians started on the Henley Project in 2012, helping the district estimate how much a new school would cost. They helped with pre-loading the soil so the school would have a secure foundation, surveyed where the underground utilities would go, engineered the parking lot, sidewalks, water and sewer drainage, and tested materials used in the school such as concrete and asphalt. Klamath Basin economy Building a new school had a big impact on the larger Klamath economy, businesses agreed. “I would say it’s affected it 100 percent,” Lockwood, with Modoc Contracting, said.
Local engineering: Adkins Consulting Engineering Brian Brown Engineering Fluent Engineering ZCS Engineering
“Absolutely,” said Hand, owner of Quality Electric. “I’m sure it did. It helped my guys.” And other businesses saw dollars roll their way, too. “I know I saw quite a few people that were working on that job site making purchases at my business,” said Ray Holliday, owner of Holliday Jewelry and the spokesman for the campaign for the bond that funded the new school. “That means that money we’re all going to be paying over the years for that has gone into the community. Has gone to businesses in the community and people who live in this community.” “Nineteen million dollars and several years of construction is a big infusion into keeping dozens and dozens and dozens of people employed,” said Morris, from Adkins. “These types of jobs of that magnitude in the Klamath Basin don’t
come up very often.” Klamath Basin school “Something like this comes along every 10 years and to be a part of the community that works on it and takes it from concept through finished construction is super rewarding,” Morris said. “People here have kids that go to school at Henley. A lot of people are long-time employees here and also grew up here. It’s great to see advancement in our schools and be a part of that.” “We have Henley parents who come in here and say, ‘I worked on that project.’ We’ve had many family members come in and say ‘I worked on this project,’” said Henley Elementary principal Janell Preston. “So that’s been exciting to know some of our Henley families were put to work on this project.”
stipler@heraldandnews.com @TiplerHN
Local vendors: Bullet Rental & Sales J.W. Kerns Platt Electric Power Pac Rental & Sales Halverson’s Rentals Smith Bates Printing Fleming Farms Knife River Sheldon’s Machine Shop American Sanitation Jefferson State Pumping Merrit’s Home Center
*From Klamath County School District open house H&N advertisement
Welcome to Henley Elementary
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
HENLEY HISTORY:
2013:
1909:
January: Klamath County School District board decides to ask voters for $31 million bond
Families in the Henley area attended school in an old residence
1910:
One-room schoolhouse built
1918:
The first high school was built
1929:
Original Henley Elementary built
2006:
Summer: Henley Elementary condemned after a rainstorm damaged the inside while a roofing project was in progress and asbestos particles were discovered Fall: Students attend class at Henley High School November: Klamath County School District tried to pass a $74.9 million bond, but voters turned it down
Klamath County Museum photo
HENLEY ELEMENTARY
History in the
MAKING ‘It’s been pretty amazing. I find myself, and I find students, gazing off in that direction. Discussing what they see. Watching things happen. The cranes coming in to lift the beams. It’s been exciting — super exciting.’ Janell Preston, Henley Elementary principal
2007:
May 21: Election day: Bond passes by slim margin. 50.71 percent to 49.29 percent. There were 5,383 yes votes and 5,233 no votes. The bond passed by 150 votes. August: District sells $31 million in bonds, starts projects at other schools
October: At public input meeting citizens send a resounding message: We want a locally built school
2010:
1929 Henley Elementary building demolished
December: District chooses P&C Construction with partner Bogatay Construction as construction manager general contractor for Henley Elementary
2012:
Summer: Klamath County School District begins talking about asking voters for a bond to improve buildings November: Klamath County School District board tours schools to see state of district buildings
April: District releases conceptual drawings of Henley Elementary, estimated to cost $19.4 million of the $31 million bond.
September: District chooses Dull, Olson Weekes IBI Group Architects
February: Henley Elementary students move to modular buildings
March: Bond officially put on the May ballot as Measure 18-91. It asked voters to pay 53 cents per $1,000 assessed value for a $31 million bond.
H&N file photo by Samantha Tipler
From December 2014 and through early spring 2015, workers tied the new Henley Elementary together with more than 200 tons of steel.
Continued on page 14
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Welcome to Henley Elementary
2014:
January-February: Architects show designs of new Henley Elementary to public April: Pre-load of rock to settle dirt for foundation of school. May 2: Official groundbreaking for the new Henley Elementary June: Work begins
2015:
June 5: Henley Elementary students get first tour of the new school. Aug. 31: School starts for the last time in the modulars Dec. 17-18: Students tour the new school to know where to go and what to do when class begins Dec. 19: Community open house
2016:
Jan. 4: first day of school in the new Henley Elementary
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS: 2014:
April: Pre-load of rock to settle dirt for foundation of school. June: Groundwork on new school site begins; Workers cut down trees along entrance road on Henley Complex July: Concrete and pavement on new bus parking area near old Henley modulars August: Concrete footings installed
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Digging in: Henley Elementary officially broke ground May 2, 2014. Principal Janell Preston smiles with Klamath County School Board members Denise Kandra and Steve Lowell. Under pressure: Before construction could begin, the site had to be preloaded with rock to settle the ground under the new school. At last: Henley Elementary second-graders got a feel for their new classrooms during a tour on the last day of school before winter break 2015. Site start: Groundwork began on the new school site in June, 2014. H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
Welcome to Henley Elementary
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
2014: September: School starts in old modulars, underground electrical conduits, plumbing installed at new school site. October: Concrete floors poured October-November: Concrete walls poured December: Concrete walls lifted vertically, steel work begins at the end of the month Footings: In August 2014 (above) workers poured the concrete footings at Henley Elementary, making up the foundation of the new school. Steel: Workers add steel footings (upper right) to connect the concrete slabs to the steel supports in December 2014. Up: December 2014 was a big move forward for Henley Elementary when workers raised and placed the concrete slab walls. For the first time, Henley went vertical. H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
2015: January: Steel work continues, roofing begins February: Roofing and steel work continues, heating and cooling ducts installed March-April: Modoc Contracting frames stud walls in classrooms and hallways; other companies working on electrical, plumbing, fire protection, ducts and telecommunications; Douglas fir wood ceilings installed. May: Weather vapor barrier installed on outside walls; Modoc workers install stud walls in cafeteria and gym; work begins on insulation and drywall; work begins on brick facade. July: Outlining areas for playground, green areas and parking; work begins on landscaping; brickwork finishes up; concrete floors polished and finished. As many as 77 workers were on site.
Continued on page 16
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Welcome to Henley Elementary
2015: August: Drywall work continues inside; roofing work continues outside; window installation begins; metal sheeting installation to exterior walls starts; student-designed bathroom tiles installed; snow-melt system installed; school starts for the last time in the modulars at the end of the month. September: Cabinets and cubbies installed in classrooms; October: Classrooms and common areas get painted; sod field installed; flooring installed; gym painted; basketball hoops installed in gym; flagpole installed; kitchen equipment arrives; bathroom hardware installed (toilets, sinks). November: Custodians clean classrooms; wood floor installed in gym; white boards, pin-boards, projectors installed in classrooms; doors installed; ceiling tiles installed; accented wall panels installed; sideboard installed; fire road paved; front entryway paved; light poles installed; signs on rooms installed; kindergarten playground equipment installed; lights and heating turned on; gym painted; December: Teachers and staff prepare to move in; furniture arrives and assembled; older children’s playground installed; signs added to classrooms, hallways, gym, cafeteria and outside the school; Henley Elementary gets temporary certificate of occupancy. Dec. 19: Community open house Late December: Teachers and staff move in; workers put finishing touches on, clean school and get final certificate of occupancy;
2016:
Jan. 4: first day of school in the new Henley Elementary
Walls: Modoc Contracting began framing-in walls (above) in March and April 2015. Ducts: As construction continued in May 2015, workers added more utilities such as water pipes, electrical, fire protection, plumbing, heating and cooling ducts (left) and telecommunication. Snowmelt: In August 2015 workers installed the snowmelt system inside the concrete walkways (lower left) leading to the entrances of the new Henley Elementary. Bricks: In May 2015 workers began laying brick (below) on Henley Elementary’s outside facade. In all, more than 135,000 bricks were used in the new school. H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
Welcome to Henley Elementary
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Designed for a Henley identity Hands on: Henley Elementary students added their own touch to the new school by painting designs on tiles that line the bathrooms.
Project incorporates community aspirations and a personal touch
By SAMANTHA TIPLER H&N Staff Reporter
T
he new Henley Elementary is no cookie-cutter, boring building. All around the new building there are reminders: honeycombs, bees, blue and yellow. There’s no mistaking it. This is a Henley School. “The architects went above and beyond and put in a lot of little features that really tell a story about who we are at Henley Elementary,” said principal Janell Preston. “There’s just these little touches that the architects put into place that really highlight us as Henley Elementary.” Form: Building a school from the ground up gave educators the chance to design a school that would fit their needs. “The Henley project is unique from the standpoint of really incorporating the community aspirations into the
project,” said Steve Olson, principal in charge of the Henley project with Dull Olson Weekes — IBI Group Architects of Portland, which designed the school. “We felt it was very important. The community worked very hard to get the bond passed. We wanted to make sure the project really complimented, really said something about the community.” The firm and the school district formed a design committee that toured schools in Oregon too see what works and what doesn’t. They held public meetings, getting citizen input on what they wanted to see in a new school. Cont. on page 18
H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
Hive pride: Henley Elementary’s gym includes the school’s bee mascot, which workers painted on in November 2015.
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Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
More than desks and chairs
508 desks
924 student chairs (classrooms, music room, computer room, speech, language, resource room and storage)
Welcome to Henley Elementary
‘There was a lot of work early on to engage people, understand really what the design needed to look like, what sort of characteristics would go into the design of the school.’ Steve Olson, Dull Olson Weekes — IBI Group Architects
144 student tables 9 reading chairs 22 book shelves 18 computer desks (for the computer lab) 150 folding chairs (cafeteria/stage) 29 teacher desks 65 teacher and staff chairs 18 teacher lecterns 42 cafeteria benches 25 American flags
Henley potential:
440 students attend now Room for 550 students in the new school
Cont. from page 17
“There was a lot of work early on to engage people, understand really what the design needed to look like, what sort of characteristics would go into the design of the school,” Olson said, “to make it not only a modern educational environment but something that really fits and works for the community.” Function: That planning, and visits to other schools, gave the design committee strong ideas about what they wanted in a new school.
“We had a larger hand in selecting the features of the school than I ever dreamed possible,” Preston said. The school is separated into three wings, each have a color and each host two grades. Juniper is blue and hosts first and second grade, Willow is green and hosts third and fourth grade and Aspen is yellow and hosts fifth and sixth grade. Each wing has six classrooms surrounding a common area. “They can use that additional space for instructional purposes,” Preston said. “So there’s a mini computer lab and reading nooks within that space
we can use to support the classroom instruction.” The kindergarten rooms are near the administration offices in their own pod. And the cafeteria and gymnasium wing is called Pine with a blue-green color. Fun: Dull Olson Weekes put little splashes of fun in the new school, too. Concrete wall slabs and steel make up the bones of the building. In some places those concrete walls were left exposed.
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Cont. on page 19
Welcome to Henley Elementary
Cont. from page 18
When workers poured the slabs, they imprinted them with wood designs or honeycomb designs. Those show through in the finished school painted blue and yellow, school colors. “They celebrated the bee/ hornet with honeycomb impressions in the concrete walls and the light feature above the reception desk is a honeycomb design,” Preston said. In the new gym, workers painted a giant bee and the “Henley” school name. In the cafeteria, what could have been a boring, plain floor was instead designed with a tree shape and leaves meandering across the room. In the
Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
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library and front office, glass walls are etched with images of trees, too. Another place the bees show up: the bathrooms. During the 2013-14 school year, Henley Elementary students created tiles with hand-print designs. They turned their tiny hands into bees, frogs, ducks and owls. Those students will forever leave their mark on their new school. “There’s just a lot of features we’re excited about celebrating, Preston said, “and showing the community what a fantastic investment they made.” stipler@heraldandnews.com; @TiplerHN H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
Celebrating a new school: Henley Elementary Principal Janell Preston smiles during the open house at her new school on Dec. 19.
Our staff is proud to have worked with KCSD on this project to help them deliver a successful project for the Henley's current and future students.
Honeycomb: Henley Elementary includes design elements to emphasize the school’s bee mascot. Some of the cement wall slabs were imprinted with a honeycomb design and painted yellow, one of the school colors.
541-884-4666 2950 Shasta Way, Klamath Falls, OR
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Sunday, Jan. 3 , 2016, Herald and News
Welcome to Henley Elementary
From modulars to a new school
Teachers, students excited for opportunities at new Henley Elementary
A place of their own: Workers built Henley Elementary’s playgrounds in November and December 2015. One playground is just for kindergarten students, another is for the older children. December walk: Kindergarten teacher Margaret McCadden leads her students between classrooms at Henley Elementary just before the last days of school in December 2015. H&N file photos by Samantha Tipler
By SAMANTHA TIPLER H&N Staff Reporter
A
s the clocked ticked down to moving time from the old Henley Elementary modulars into the new school, some teachers were counting the days.
“Yesterday I had a teacher walk in and she said, ‘Nine more days,’” principal Janell Preston said with a little, maybe desperate, laugh. “She was talking about walking to the cafeteria, as she was dripping from the rain. She said, ‘Nine more days.’ ” “We had a couple of our teachers who have only taught in the modulars so they were pretty sad to see them go. And then there are teachers who are just over-themoon excited. They were packed and ready to go when the bell rang on Friday afternoon,” said Jessica DeLonge, a fourth grade teacher and Henley parent. “I’m ready to go. I’ll move in today.” For eight years the staff of Henley Elementary have made do in 12 modular buildings. Originally meant to be a temporary fix after the original 1929 building was condemned and demolished, they became permanent. That is, until voters passed a $31 million bond in 2013, including approximately $20 million for a new Henley Elemen-
tary, opening Monday. Life in the modulars has not been easy. “It’s definitely different than a typical school,” Preston said. “We don’t have hallways, so there’s not an opportunity to just chit-chat unless you’re willing to do that outside in the wind-rain.” They’ve had to get used to working and learning in small quarters and being outside. Seven of the modulars hold classrooms, two in each building. One holds the school’s office, another the library. To go anywhere, from one class to another, or to Henley High School for lunch and PE, students and staff must go outside. “As far as what the students deal with, they have to go outside for everything. Whether they are going to a different classroom for extra math help or reading help, they have to go outside to travel for that. To go to the library we have to go outside,” Preston said. Cont. on page 21
Welcome to Henley Elementary
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Lunch lessons: Henley Elementary students practiced how to get their breakfast and lunch in their new cafeteria during tours of the new school in December. H&N file photo by Samantha Tipler
Cont. from page 20
“We eat breakfast at the middle school, lunch at the high school. We go to the high school for PE.” “As a teacher I’m excited I don’t have to take a walkie-talkie every place I go: PE, lunch, computer lab,” DeLonge said. “It’s going to be nice being in a building.” “When you went out to lunch, on the way you would have to go outside in the cold or when it’s hot,” said her daughter, first-grader Ayla DeLonge, 7. “It was like they lived outside,” said Klamath County School District superintendent Greg Thede. “Just last week custodial staff went to grab their cleaning cart and everything was frozen solid,” Preston said. “We had to bring everything inside and thaw it out before we could proceed with the normal routine of cleaning. It definitely has had its challenges.” A new normal: The students who started kindergarten during the year of transition between the old 1929
school and the modulars are now freshmen in high school, Preston estimated. “Students who are currently here and have been here all six or seven years, unless they went to a different school, they’ve never experienced a traditional school,” she said. “As we open the new school on Jan. 4, it will be a totally new experience for the vast majority of kids at Henley Elementary,” Thede said. “If they have been only at Henley Elementary, then they have only experienced the modulars and have never been in a traditional building with hallways, a cafeteria in the building and a gym.” As she prepared to move into her new classroom, DeLonge said she looked forward to seeing her students get used to a new normal at a new school. The new school is one large 60,000 square foot building. Classrooms exist in little pods, with similar grades together sharing a common space. There’s a new computer lab and a media center,
the modern version of a library. One wing hosts a cafeteria, kitchen, stage and gymnasium. Outside there is a playground just for kindergartners and another just for the older children. “I’m most excited about the new equipment in our playground,” 7-year-old Ayla said. “I think I am most excited to see and give the students an experience
to come in a building. Most of our Henley students have never had that,” DeLonge said. “They have never walked in a school building. I think what I am going to enjoy is sitting back and seeing the students’ reaction. Walk in halls. Go into the lunch room, the gymnasium. They haven’t had their own.”
stipler@heraldandnews.com @TiplerHN
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Welcome to Henley Elementary
H&N photo by Samantha Tipler
A Henley lineage: Eric Janney, left, with his wife, Andrea, with their children Chris, back row at right, Joe, lower right, and Allie, lower left, talk about the new Henley Elementary School.
A new, safe and beautiful
school
Henley parents, students excited and grateful for new elementary facility
By SAMANTHA TIPLER H&N Staff Reporter
W
alking into the new Henley Elementary for the first time was a big step for the Janney family.
“We both got a little bit choked up,” said Eric Janney. “Yeah we both talked about how we almost cried walking in,” said Andrea Janney. The couple has three children: 9-year-old Chris, 7-yearold Joe, and 5-year-old Allie. They’re all students at Henley Elementary. “Walking into the kids’ classrooms to see where they’re going to be sitting every day. Literally walking down and having my 7-year-old be like ‘I’m so happy!’ Just spontaneously because they’re so excited to be somewhere beautiful and safe that feels like theirs,” Andrea said. “The excitement’s palpable. I just feel really proud to be involved in the process, but to be part of a community that’s willing to do this for the kids is great.” Cont. on page 23
Welcome to Henley Elementary Cont. from page 22
In the Henley community many families have attended the schools for generations. The three schools, Henley Elementary, Henley Middle and Henley High, are all close together, helping hold together the tightknit community. Andrea graduated from Henley and is proud to have her children going to the same schools she attended. “It’s always been a great community,” she said. “I am so excited to have my three kids (here), they’ll be at Henley all the way from kindergarten all the way through 12th hopefully. The Henley community is outstanding.” Old school For the Janney kids, all they have ever known is the modular buildings at Henley Elementary. Students have attended in those buildings since 2007, shortly after the 1929 building was condemned. The district tore down the original school in 2010. From the modulars, students must walk to the middle school for breakfast and the high school for lunch and PE. “I don’t like going outside for PE. When I go in this weather it’s cold,” said Chris, who is in fourth grade. “When I go to lunch I’d rather stay inside to go to the cafeteria than walk outside and to the high school. I’m glad we have the school.” It was difficult on parents, too. For instance during parent-teacher conferences, with no hallways parents must wait outside. “You wait out on the steps on those modulars for your turn,” Andrea said. When the Klamath County School District decided to ask voters to pass a $31 million bond in 2013, Eric Janney joined the Citizens for Klamath County Schools PAC which campaigned for the bond. When voters approved it, he joined the design committee. “That was pretty neat, too, to be able to work with the group
to decide what kind of school we wanted,” he said. “That was a big thing was a quality build. That it was going to be low maintenance. We wanted something really nice but not over-the-top. Didn’t really want a Taj Mahal, just something really high quality that was going to last a long time and be a good value to the taxpayers.” New School The whole family is excited about starting fresh in the new school. “Just to know the kids are going to be safe. They’re going to be warm,” Andrea said. “In the mornings when it’s really, really cold, we worry about putting them on the bus and knowing they’ll be outside in the freezing cold until it’s time to go in. Now they have a gymnasium to play (in). Their own cafeteria to eat in. A great place to put on productions or have assemblies. It’s a little overwhelming. It’s incredible.” “I’m excited we get our own cafeteria and we get our own gymnasium,” Chris said. “We don’t have to walk over to the high school for PE and lunch.” “Newer desks, newer chairs,” said Joe, who is in second grade. “We don’t have to walk outside to the PE gym and cafeteria.” “At recess, if we get really cold we can go inside,” said Allie, who is in kindergarten. Thank you “I’ve been a part of this community for close to 40 years,” Andrea said. “The community has seen some heartbreak, and jobs leaving and just some rundown from Main Street all the way out.” But having a new school for the first time in 40 years will have an impact. “To see a beautiful new building you know is going to be so important to our kids and to our youth, it’s something we can all be proud of,” she said. “Everyone can talk about that we all had a piece in it. ... A shining star in our community. It’s just exciting. It’s just a
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‘Even the people who voted against the levy, they’re still paying property tax. Even the people who didn’t vote for it, I say thank you. I know it’s a hardship. Their property taxes have gone up. I’m very grateful.’ Eric Janney, Henley Elementary school parent
feel-good for everyone. And it should be.” When asked what they wanted to tell the community, the entire family said, “Thank you.” “Even the people who voted against the levy, they’re still paying property tax,” Eric said. “Even the people who didn’t vote for it, I say thank you.
I know it’s a hardship. Their property taxes have gone up. I’m very grateful.” “For our kids I think you’re going to see a payoff,” Andrea said. “You’re going to see a generation of kids that are excited to be here and excited to go to school. It’s going to pay off.”
stipler@heraldandnews.com @TiplerHN
Congratulations to Henley Elementary School! We are honored to be a part of your team.
DOWA-IBI Group Architects, Inc. 907 SW Stark Street Portland, OR 97205 503 226 6950 www.dowa-ibigroup.com
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Welcome to Henley Elementary JUNIPER
8 2 2 7 H I G H WAY 3 9 K L A M AT H FA L L S
WILLOW
SCHOOL ENTRANCE
ASPEN
PINE