Moving forward: Mountain Brook’s school system getting major updates
Mountain Brook’s school system is getting its largest renovation yet.
The $75 million project includes upgrades in every school in the six-school system. Cherokee Bend Elementary, Crestline Elementary and Mountain Brook Elementary received upgrades over the summer in preparation for the fall semester. Mountain Brook High School, Mountain Brook Junior High and Brookwood Forest Elementary have bigger plans.
“This is the first time we’ve taken on this large of a capital improvement,” said Tommy Prewitt, facilities director at Mountain Brook Schools. “It was just time to make some much-needed improvements.”
The schools in Mountain Brook are each over 50 years old. In 2018, the school system had an architecture firm look at all six campuses, and that company said there were about $30 million in needed improvements.
In 2019, city voters approved a 10-mil tax increase that was projected to generate an additional $6 million in annual revenue for the school system.
William Galloway, the school system’s communications specialist, said the community has shown support for the improvements.
“Whether community residents have children in the school system or not, it’s their tax dollars at work, so it’s very important as a school system to have the support of the community,” he said. “We feel the support. Not only for the need of these ongoing and upcoming construction projects, but we feel their support that we’re working to move Mountain Brook forward.”
HIGH SCHOOL
With an expected completion date of fall 2022, Mountain Brook High School is getting a new two-story academic wing with 42 classrooms.
The high school has had three academic wings, but over the summer, two of those wings were demolished for the new classroom addition, which is Phase 1 of the project. Once the new wing is occupied, Phase 2 would begin, which involves demolishing the third original academic wing. This would make room for a band room expansion and new counseling suite.
“Those three academic wings are original construction from back in the 1960s,” Prewitt said. “We looked at maybe renovating those spaces, but we found it would cost as much or more to bring those spaces up to current building code than it would be to demolish and build new.”
The classrooms will be larger and will be set up for new technology that can accommodate STEM classes. While the addition will have a few additional classrooms in comparison to the original two wings, Prewitt said enrollment has been steady at Mountain Brook.
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
TurnerBatson President Dave Reese and his wife moved to Mountain Brook when they were expecting their first child. He knew he wanted his children, who are now in sixth, fourth and second grades, to be enrolled in an excellent school system.
But even before TurnerBatson was hired as an architect for the Mountain Brook Schools improvements, Reese saw the need for some updates, he said.
“The Junior High School in particular, to me, does not relate well to the neighborhood from an architectural standpoint,” he said. “Then once we went inside, it was a little chopped up and disorganized. It just didn’t reflect the character and the quality of education or the leadership there.”
When the school system interviewed Turner Batson, among other architecture firms, Reese and his team came in with some ideas of their own. The final plans were close to their original concept, he said.
“Our kids have had great success in Mountain Brook. They’re thriving. So it was a coveted opportunity to get to design their school.”
The junior high school will get a new three-story main entrance building with 18 classrooms. It will also get a renovated and expanded cafeteria and auditorium, renovated locker rooms and a new pitched roof and turret over the media center.
The new design “unites” the building, Reese said.
“The junior high was a maze of hallways, and our goal was to minimize those and to create an open commons and an organized system.”
The design also eliminates the need for students to go outside when changing classes. Previously, the stairs were too narrow and had to be one-directional, and one stairway led outside.
In his 33 years working at TurnerBatson, Reese said he’s always been passionate about his projects. But he’s extra passionate about this one because of the impact it makes on his community.
“There’s extra pressure on me, because if I mess up, my wife won’t be happy and me kids won’t be happy,” he said, laughing. “I have a lot of community friends who are looking to me to do something special.”
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Brookwood Forest Elementary will have a new addition with a main entrance, administrative suite and lunchroom.
“Similar to what we’re doing at the high school, we’re building a new addition, then occupying that space, then we’ll fall back and renovate the old kitchen and cafeteria,” Prewitt said. “Their kitchen and cafeteria is older construction. We have older facilities, and we’ve maintained them over the years, but it was time to step up and build more modern facilities where we could.”
Classrooms and restrooms will be renovated. There will also be a new gym roof, HVAC improvements and new paint and flooring as needed.
Mountain Brook Elementary will see renovations of the lunchroom, administrative offices and restrooms, as well as new windows and waterproofing.
“We gutted their whole front office and rebuilt that,” Prewitt said. “During demolition, we uncovered a lot of original oak hardwood floors that had carpet glued down to them. The original school was built in 1929. The area we’re working in now was built later, but these hardwoods are 70 or 80 years old. We were able to keep those hardwoods, and we’re refinishing them now. They’re going to look great.”
At Crestline Elementary, the auditorium will be renovated and will have a new wheelchair-accessible lift to the stage. Previously, the school would rent and build a wheelchair ramp for large productions.
“We’re also getting a new roof put on the auditorium, new HVAC, new flooring, new ceiling, new acoustical treatment and new sound and lighting,” Prewitt said. “A lot going on.”
Cherokee Bend is also getting summer updates. In Phase 1, the cafeteria will be renovated, and next summer, the kitchen will be renovated. The PTO is funding new cafeteria furniture, Prewitt said.
Timeline
Over the summer of 2021:
► Updates to Cherokee Bend Elementary cafeteria
► Auditorium renovation at Crestline Elementary
► Mountain Brook Elementary front office gutted and rebuilt with new administrative offices
► Two wings demolished at Mountain Brook High School
Summer 2022:
► Updates to Cherokee Bend Elementary kitchen
Fall 2022:
► Phase One of Mountain Brook High School expected to be finished
► Brookwood Forest updates expected to be finished
► Mountain Brook Junior High School updates expected to be finished
2023 and beyond:
► Mountain Brook High School to move into Phase Two, which will be an update for the remaining original classroom wing
► Larger projects for Cherokee Bend Elementary, Crestline Elementary and Mountain Brook Elementary in years to come
‘UPGRADED LOOK’
From students to parents to community members, Galloway with Mountain Brook Schools said there’s much for Mountain Brook to be excited about with this project.
“People are excited for an upgraded look,” he said. “We’re keeping the traditional style that is Mountain Brook but having upgraded and renovated facilities that provide a 21st-century education to students to learn, to grow, to feel safe and to have an opportunity to be in the best school system and the nicest facilities. I think that will go a long way for students’ education, for parents’ appreciation and support of the school system.”
The efforts don’t just focus on looks, he said, but also on student safety and learning enhancement.
“Our slogan of this whole project, Moving Mountain Brook Forward, encapsulates how we want to grow and provide effective, challenging education opportunities for all students to learn,” he said.
The school system has been posting podcast and video updates to its website. Visit mtnbrook.k12.al.us for more information.