Henry Sibley Plans 'Post-Secondary Success Center'

A quiet, open room with study spaces, a few shelves of books, and the best view in the building is tucked away on the third floor of media center.

School administration wants to turn this area, which they describe as under-used, into a bustling "Post-Secondary Success Center," designed with collaborative learning and study spaces, a career center, and resources for college and career prep programs.

and architect Paul Youngquist gave the a tour of the space March 19 to give them a better idea of what the space is used for now and what it could be. 

The school has partnered with the Center for School Change to improve college readiness among the student population, and this space would dovetail with that effort, said Percival.

The remodel would also be in line with to maximize facilities and increase access to blended learning (online/classroom) and options for post-secondary programming, said Percival. 

The project is expected to be funded with remaining money designated for a wireless upgrade project at Friendly Hills and Henry Sibley High School last year that came in under budget by about $200,000.

Existing faculty, counselors, specialists and librarians would staff the space, according to the proposal. 

Communications Director Susan Brott said they would wait to invest in new technology for the space to let students and staff determine what would be most useful. 

The plans currently include closing off a staircase to the second floor to create more room.

Board members said they were interested in removing the staircase entirely. The cost of removing the stairs is $50,000 but it would open up floor space below.

Board members also encouraged Percival and Youngquist to provide a sink and plumbing in the space to encourage use in the evenings by community groups. 

The goal is to get a plan approved this spring so construction can happen over the summer. 

Board member recently retired from teaching at Sibley, and said she's familiar with how the space has been used in the past. "I think this is really exciting and a good use of this space," said Corbett.

A second review of an updated plan is expected at the school board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. April 10 at Henry Sibley High School. *

*This article has been edited to report the correct date of the first April school board meeting. Patch regrets the error.