Last year, thanks to a new graphics machine, a lot of paint (and elbow grease) and the hard work of the summer painting/ work crew, the hallways of Macomb High School got a face lift. And like the Summer of 2024, the crew, led by Macomb School District No. 185 Director of Operations Scott Schauble, was hard at work again this summer brightening up the halls and rooms of MHS (literally and then some), as well as MacArthur Early Childhood Center.
According to Schauble, all new LED lighting was installed throughout the high school, with every hallway and room, being retrofitted with the more efficient system, which is expected to save about $3,000 per month. The school’s average electric bill prior to the LED install was about $24,000 each month.
The district is also looking at a community solar project in the near future to harness the sun’s power to further reduce electric bills, he added. While panels will not be installed on school property, the district is reviewing the possibility of purchasing solar-powered energy from local solar farms (commonly referred to as community solar projects).
And like last year, Schauble used the graphics machine and software purchased last year to add new vinyl graphics and banners in the gym. The crew will also be installing new curtains and wall pads in the gym, along with painting the interior and applying new epoxy on the stairs.
Next summer the crew will apply the epoxy in the girls’ and boys’ locker rooms.
“Doing this kind of work ourselves (the epoxy work), we’ll save about $50,00060,000,” Schauble pointed out.
In addition to the lighting and gymnasium refresh, new curtains were installed in the Fellheimer Auditorium and the MHS Fellheimer Pool area got a new paint job for the first time in about 27 years, he added. District staff also helped refresh the MacArthur Early Childhood Center hallways with new paint and vinyl graphics, while Lincoln School received 30,000-plussquare- feet of new vinyl tile flooring. Next summer’s plan is to refresh Edison and Lincoln schools with the district’s new paint scheme, he noted.
“While Macomb High was the focus this summer, the long-term project scope will encompass all school buildings and the Washington Street Gymnasium,” Schauble added.
“The current project, which has renovated the Macomb High School commons/ cafeteria, Fellheimer Pool lobby, Fellheimer Auditorium lobby and all interschool hallways started at the end of May 2024. The project entailed a color scheme comprised of seven complementary colors and the vinyl graphics that were created in-house to spruce up hallways and common areas.”
The districtwide visual renovation project is expected to take three- to five- years.
