Школа округа Беркли завершила строительство нового театра и робототехнического центра

BERKLEY — The Berkley School District is starting the school year with several building additions and upgrades. As part of the district’s 2023 bond and 2018 sinking fund projects, this summer saw the completion of projects that included the Black Box Theatre at Berkley High School, The Den’s space for the robotics team, and the multipurpose space at Rogers Elementary School. The Den is located at the former Cana Lutheran Church property, which the school district purchased in 2024. In addition to the robotics team, The Den also will house the district’s Adult Transition Program. Berkley School District hosted an open house on Aug. 20 to show the community the newly renovated Den space. “It gives the students a new, beautiful, fully updated permanent home that they can call their own, that they deserve, and where they can learn and grow, and where their curiosity and collaboration and creativity will be on full display,” Superintendent Scott Francis said. “It was one of the larger projects that came to completion, in addition to our Performing Arts Center.” The coach of the robotics team, Kevin Schokora, said the renovations to the building allow them to have a bigger space to work with. “We can build a half field of what we do to compete in, and then we can drive our robot and operate it like we normally would at a competition,” he said. “It allows the students to be better and train more for a competition, and then have that training result on the field with our performance.” The excitement generated by the improvements has increased interest in the robotics team. In addition to the building being used by the high school team, Da Bears, and the middle school teams at Norup and Anderson, a second high school team will be created with freshmen and sophomores to allow them to immediately engage with robotics. “My proudest moment (from the open house) was seeing alumni come back and just talk about how this is a proud moment for them and they’re so much happier where the program is at,” Schokora said. The Rogers Elementary School multipurpose room also was completed this summer, leaving Angell as the only elementary school with multipurpose space that still needs to be finished. It’s expected to be finished in the fall. The Black Box Theatre was built as an addition at the high school adjacent to its existing performing arts wing. During school hours, it will be a choir classroom, but after school it will be a space for students to practice, rehearse and have mini performances. There will be an open house for the addition at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the high school. What’s left to be completed, Francis said, is The Bear Complex, the 60-yard indoor field house that will wrap up in early 2027. “We’re thrilled and excited for our students to be able to be in these new spaces because, for years, we’ve had award-winning programs and we’ve had award-winning staff, and we’ve got highly skilled and talented kids, and it’s nice to see our spaces be able to be places where kids feel valued and their talents can shine and take pride in their spaces and their performances,” Francis said.