Post by Afton Guedea, Advocate intern and Lakehill Preparatory senior.
Headmaster Roger Perry and Lakehill Board Chair Beverly Godbey
Lakehill Preparatory School’s front lawn was a sea of white construction hats this morning as students, parents, faculty and staff joined Headmaster Roger Perry, board members and donors to commemorate the ground breaking of their 16,000- square-foot renovation.
In order to officially break ground, Perry was joined by Lakehill Board Chair Beverly Godbey, along with board members Chuck Burch, Carolyn Howard, Chris Janning, Colleen McCall, Brad Robinson, Irwin Thompson, Matt Trent, Dana Turner, and Brent Walker, Parent Faculty Club President Barb Witherite, and architect Jon Rollins; each one had the opportunity to chip away at the old and make way for the new and improved Lakehill.
Celebrating renovations at the Lakehill campus
The long-awaited addition has been in the planning process for about four years, and after countless meetings with neighbors, the Dallas City Council unanimously approved plans Jan. 12. Since the approval, Lakehill has been buzzing with excitement and planning, preparing itself for the largest changes to the building since its construction in 1949.
(Though the school did receive an impressive off-campus environmental center in 2009.)
“This groundbreaking is the culmination of significant efforts with our neighbors to make this possible.” Perry remarked, “We appreciate their response and encouragement. Improving our school will have a positive effect on our entire community.”
Whether it is the teachers animatedly talking about the new labs for science, writing and computer science or the students discussing their excitement about the 5,000 square-foot courtyard or the graduating seniors gossiping about how jealous they are that they won’t get to enjoy the changes, everyone in the Lakehill community is eager to begin construction.
With the groundbreaking under its belt, Lakehill plans to begin construction right away, starting next Monday. Working nonstop throughout the summer, as well as the majority of next year, the new building is set to be up and running by the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.
Being a soon-to-be Lakehill alumna, I cannot wait to come back and see the changes and impact this addition has on both Lakehill and the community.
