This summer, restorations began at South to repair the damage caused by the fire in May 2023, Principal Dr. Barbara Georges said. While the cleaning occurred in the summer, work on the infrastructure began at the start of the school year, Casey Wright, associate principal for administrative services, said. 

One of the larger projects was aimed toward the woodshop, including reorganizing the back wall and adding additional storage, Georges said. Additional work included roof replacement over impact areas, flooring repair and refinishing, and relocation of the dust collection system, Wright said.

“New code and requirements say a dust collector has to be outside and not inside,” Wright said. “The value of [having it outside] is ventilation.” There are ducts in the woodshop that suck up all of the dust.”

 Belfor Property Restoration of Northbrook was in charge of the restorations, which took most of the summer, Wright said. From there, Nicholas & Associates, a full-service contractor, worked with the district and set timelines for different organization projects, Wright added. 

The woods room will be available and fully equipped for class by December, Dr Kimberly Ptak, Director of Operations, said. Until then, Woodworking classes remain in the Makerspace while repairs continue, Ptak added.

“[We replaced] all [needed] equipment to make sure we had tools necessary for students to create and be part of the curriculum,” Wright said. 

In efforts to prevent another fire in the future, a fire sprinkler system is being installed along with an emergency shut-off system, Ptak said.

Aside from restoring the building, another aspect of the repairs was aimed at improving safety among the student body, Wright said. The administration introduced its first “Safety Day” on Wednesday, Sept. 20 in a commitment to learning safety procedures and school operations. 

 Wright said. 

The adjusted schedule included fire, relocation, and lockdown drills to be prepared for events like the fire, Senior Shannon Dudy said. 

“Allowing students to become familiar with [the drills] again was extremely important,” Dudy said. “Even though classes were shorter, I think it was a productive use of my time.”