Revamped middle school opening in Round Lake

Round Lake Unit District 116 residents have plenty reason to be proud when the new academic year begins Monday, its chief executive officer says.

Ben Martindale, the CEO, said the reopening of Magee Middle School in Round Lake after a roughly two-year construction project is a major milestone for the district that's encountered its share of financial difficulties.

"I think if you're living in this community, it's a pretty big deal," Martindale said.

Voters approved a tax-increase referendum that provided about $15 million for demolition, renovation and an addition to Magee, and $2 million for other projects.

Magee, near Cedar Lake and Hart roads, was shut in 2004 and in need of numerous improvements when the voters OK'd the tax hike. Safety problems also were cited for its closure.

When it reopens Monday, the school will accommodate about 675 children in grades six through eight. Martindale said Magee's technology and aesthetics are comparable to buildings in wealthier Lake County school systems.

"You have more classrooms," Martindale said. "You have a building that has windows. It's a very bright building. It is a very attractive building."

Kim Kearby, who heads District 116's teachers union local, said the new Magee Middle School will free up needed space in other buildings. Kearby complimented District 116's administration and the residents who backed the tax increase to get Magee reopened.

"I haven't heard anybody who's driven by that school and not made a comment on how great it looks," Kearby said.

Highlights of the new Magee include a cafeteria that'll double as a gymnasium, a fine-arts center and band and music classrooms. More than 56,000 square feet was renovated and another 26,000 square feet added onto the structure.

Magee was built in 1922, with additions made in 1960, 1976 and 1981. Students will attend new-look Magee for just a morning session Monday.

Round Lake Middle School on North Lotus Drive in Round Lake Heights will now house grades six through eight under a new configuration in District 116. Grades seven and eight had been in Round Lake Middle, but the reopening of Magee allows for more room, Martindale said.

State intervention prevented Round Lake Unit District's threatened dissolution in 2003. The state established a finance authority to oversee District 116 and help it erase debt.