When students walk into the counselor’s office they will see a newly remodeled area with some of the staff relocated, in addition to a more spacious place. The remodeling was greatly anticipated and appreciated by the staff working in that part of the building.

“I was very excited. It makes it a lot easier, plus it’s more organized and looks more professional,” counseling secretary Marie Bruno said. “It was well overdue.”

Reconstruction had been talked about for awhile, but it was not a high priority project. The district building budget had money left over from the summer, so the remaining money was used for the remodeling.

Construction happened during the school day. Students may have been confused at the sound of drills and the sight of sawdust coating the carpet, but little work was disrupted.

“The construction people were very easy to work with. They did really well. I was only really displaced for two days,” Bruno said.

Scholarship Secretary Kathie Britten’s desk has been in the same place in the counseling office for 12 years, but the new look has moved her more towards the front office.

“Well, after so many years being in the same spot it was a little weird, but the remodeling was necessary. The office definitely needed some uplifting,” Britten said.

The counselors were able to put in requests, but who they gave those requests to is quite a surprise.

Band director Kyle Haugen designed the new addition to the counseling office.

When plans were made to remodel Assistant Band Director A.J. Bowen’s office and the jazz room, Haugen wanted to make sure the contractors knew exactly how he wanted it.

“I went online and started searching design programs. I came across a program and just started messing around with it,” Haugen said.

Eventually news got around that he knew how to make specific 3D designs through a program called Google SketchUp, so the counselors came to him.

“It kind of correlates with drill writing. It’s very similar, it’s kind of a drafting type thing,”  Haugen said. “If I had to be anything else in the world, I probably would’ve been an architect.”