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The Hazelwood School District is preparing to begin Phase III of Hazelwood 1^st to decide the future of facilities in the District, and parents, residents and community members are encouraged to participate.

The first meeting of Hazelwood 1^st is Jan. 11,  from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Commons of Hazelwood Central High School, located at 15875 New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant.   There are more facility needs in the District and the community is being asked to help to review and prioritize those needs.

Some possible projects include: upgrading science labs at Hazelwood Central High School, renovating the libraries at Hazelwood East and Hazelwood West high schools, new ceilings and lighting in the commons at Hazelwood East and Hazelwood West high schools, and District-wide HVAC equipment replacement or upgrades. There are other potential improvement projects across the District, too.

The history of Hazelwood 1^st began six years ago, when more than a thousand District community members came together to participate in one of the largest public engagement campaigns in Missouri. District staff members and residents attended meetings, studied issues facing the school district, collaborated and made recommendations. The effort produced a long-range facilities plan and the recommendation of a bond initiative and tax levy, both of which were placed on the ballot in 2004. The recommendations included four new middle schools and full-day kindergarten in all 20 elementary schools.

Upon completion of Phase I projects, Hazelwood 1st participants met again to evaluate Phase II of the long-range facilities plan. Through the process, it became evident that many school buildings did not meet Missouri standards. For example, students were being taught under staircases, in storage closets and in hallways. Additionally, most of the libraries did not meet the state’s minimum size requirements.

It was recommended that a $65 million bond initiative be placed on the ballot. In November 2006, more than 70 percent of the voters approved the initiative to make much-needed improvements to schools.    Now, students at Hazelwood Central High School have access to a new, state-of-the-art library. It’s nearly twice the size of the previous library, allowing the school to provide many more resources to students. Upgrades were made to the heating and air conditioning system at Hazelwood West High, and the administration building, which was renamed The HSD Learning Center, was renovated with an addition to house the Hazelwood Central Early Childhood and GALACTIC gifted programs.

Renovations were made at the following elementary schools: Armstrong, Barrington, Brown, Cold Water, Garrett, Grannemann, Jamestown, Jana, Jury, Keeven, Lawson, Lusher, McCurdy, McNair, Russell, Townsend, Twillman and Walker.   Currently, Larimore Elementary School is undergoing similar renovations and upgrades as the last project in Phase II of the long-range facilities plan. Work is expected to be completed before the 2010-2011 school year begins.

The meeting dates for Phase III of Hazelwood 1^st include: Jan.  11, Feb. 1, Feb. 22, March 8, March 29 and April 26.

Recommendations from the meetings will be made to the HSD Board in May.

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