DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — "This has been a long time coming," said Rochester Superintendent Dan Cox. "We've been planning this project for over 5 years."

Now, plans are turning into construction.

Rochester High School held a groundbreaking ceremony to launch their new upgrades and additions around the school campus.

Principal Jeff Reed shares, they are using the money to build a "...state of the art science wing, improved athletic facilities, upgrades and safety, and a new student commons area and offices."

The $27.7 investment is to provide their students with high quality education, a safe learning environment, and updated athletic resources for extracurriculars. 

The science wing will be a major addition to the school building and will feature state-of-the-art classrooms and labs.

Molly Godar has been a science teacher at Rochester for 20 years, and she knows it's going to enhance her teaching and her students' learning.

"You will see a lot more STEM, a lot more engineering interactive stuff and improvement in the lab equipment and the lab work. We'll see big strides there."

Dan Cox also shares, the school has updated their entire Booster Stadium with a new track, new seating, and better field quality. The tennis court and soccer fields are also upgrading their facilities. 

Cox is excited to share, "Our new athletic facilities will include a no-infull turf system for the soccer complex and football field, complimented by a state-of-the-art scoreboard, lighting, and sound system- making it one of the premier venues in the Midwest."

Rendering of Rochester High School

A rendering of the $27.7 Rochester CUSD #3A addition by BLDD Architects

The money is also proud to support increased security measures, by adding double sided entry-way doors to the school.

The projects are slowly being completed, and all will be completed in the next year or so. The science wing will hold students in classrooms by this time next year.

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