Armijo High School Principal Matthew Powell says Armijo HS began demolishing one of the main school hallways, S hall, in April, as part of a plan to rebuild and make way for new classrooms. This is a part of a bigger plan to modernize the school.
At Armijo High, the new buildings will feature updated Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways, including new welding facilities, a revamped woodshop, enhanced multimedia capabilities, and more. Construction is expected to continue with a deadline between the 2027-2028 school year. “There was a push for the CTE pathways. Fairfield High got started with the performing arts center, as well as updating their sports medicine rooms and culinary and kitchen areas. I do know that at Rodriguez, they have agriculture, so there’s probably a bunch of stuff built into that. They’re gonna build a theater at Rodriguez and then now; we’re just the next step of all those CTE pathway pushes.” Powell said.
The construction taking place is part of a larger plan to upgrade several areas of the campus, making it feel more modern and up-to-date. “…Continuing with the rebranding and having new landscaping everywhere, the lion logo all over the place. Just a sense of pride… to see the school continuing to move forward in its modernization,” Mr. Powell expressed.
The new rooms will give teachers and students better facilities to use and specialize. The construction will also include “new multimedia rooms, which have green rooms and more ability to shoot and take videos. You’ll have a brand new theater so Mrs. Beeson will be able to show off her amazing plays, a new central quad location where our leadership and other people can perform things at halftime, like the modern band class being able to perform out here.” Mr Powell stated.
Mr. Powell isn’t the only one paying attention to the changes that are happening. Many students have also noticed that the construction is changing Armijo High School. “At first I was shocked to hear about the construction going on, but I’m happy that the school is changing and becoming more modern.” Gian Carlo Ramos is a fellow Armijo student and is excited to see more work on campus. Other students, like Renzhou Cedrick-Casipit, shared similar feelings about the construction going on: “I think it’s pretty cool that the school is deciding to modernize and all that stuff.”
(Abraham Farias Gonzalez)
As construction continues, students have noticed some changes around campus, like fenced-off areas. “All the dirt and debris on your face when you leave school is annoying. …The false [fire] alarms that go off are annoying, too,” expressed Gian Carlo Ramos.
While plenty of students are excited to see the school improving and modernizing, they also admit that the construction can and has become a distraction at times. Gian Carlo Ramos shared his grievances once again, “The noise is annoying because it distracts me while I’m doing my work.”
Besides modernization, the upgrades aim to create opportunities for students to grow, explore new skills, and take pride in their school. “I hope the students have a sense of pride in seeing an updated Armijo: new buildings, new classrooms, the lion logo all over the place. I also hope it intrigues them in trying these programs out,” Mr Powell shared.
