Shared Facility Gets New Identities

Ludington Area School District’s combined middle and high school is undergoing a significant renovation and redesign to better meet the needs of all students. It was important to the district to create flexible, adaptable environments to provide students with varied learning styles and stimulate the curriculum opportunities for teachers now and in the future.

Ludington High School was originally built in 1957 and the attached O.J. DeJonge Middle School was built in 1965. After a series of renovations over the past 50 years, it was important to update the facility to serve 21st century learners and create a unique identity for both schools. New entrances on what used to be the back of the building offer better utilization of space on the site, takes drop off and pick up traffic off the main streets and designates separate driveways and parking lots for the schools. The new front of the building will have an updated façade, secure entrances, pedestrian-oriented landscape, and a new practice field positioned near the high school student lot. With the new entrances located near the administrative offices, the redesign has lessened the entrances to the building from four to two. Additionally, the new entrances and site layout create a unified campus experience for students, parents, and visitors providing a renewed sense of place.

The facility houses nearly 1,200 students that share a small central portion of the school that includes the auditorium and fine arts classrooms. A new middle school cafeteria and kitchen will be added, allowing the auxiliary gymnasium to be dedicated to athletics only and thus no longer function as a middle school lunchroom. Upgrades to the middle school and high school administration offices will bring previously separated offices together and foster better collaboration between staff. Throughout the school, spaces will be brighter with the addition of new lighting and new HVAC will be installed along with updated interior finishes.

The project was designed during the height of pandemic-related supply chain delays, the team was challenged to work through the resulting budget adjustments and the addition of new leadership in the district.