Godfrey-Lee — It’s been more than five years since part of Lee Middle and High School’s roof collapsed in June 2019.
Now, the district has officially wrapped up all planned projects to repair, renovate, expand and modernize the century-old building to serve students.
Lee High School Principal Andy Steketee recently invited former superintendents, administrators and construction and design team leads from Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. and TowerPinkster to tour the building’s completed construction.
“It’s been a long journey,” Steketee said. “We’ve been through a lot since the roof collapse and watching construction happen has been a process, so I wanted to gather you all in the same space to say thank you.”
Kevin Polston served as Godfrey-Lee’s superintendent at the time of the collapse. He saw the rebuild as an opportunity to serve staff, students and the community by providing a quality learning environment that combined the building’s legacy with its future possibilities.
The neighboring community agreed. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, voters approved a $17.79 million bond to fund a major transformation to the building. Despite financial setbacks, construction delays and several changes in leadership, the district kept its promises for what new construction and expansion projects were originally planned.
Walking Lee’s halls these many years since the collapse, Polston — now Kentwood Public Schools’ superintendent — said, “It’s good to be back; it’s beautiful in here.”
Something Old, Something New
The original Lee Street School was constructed in 1923, with additions built over the decades as needs arose. The building had no sprinkler system or air conditioning, and classroom temperatures often soared above 80 degrees in warm weather.
The building’s piecemeal construction also resulted in several elevation changes and hard-to-find elevators, which led to many accessibility issues throughout the school.
Such challenges are now in the past. At the start of the 2024-25 school year, students and staff officially began learning in air-conditioned classrooms. Lee Middle School principal Addie Rose said having climate-controlled spaces improves the overall comfort for staff and students and enhances focus, productivity and overall learning.
The bond projects also added ramps and lifts to the building wherever possible, and brought some lower-elevation rooms up to street level. This includes the former band room, which has since reopened as the student services suite, while the band enjoys its new 2,300-square-foot practice space elsewhere in the building.
The process of leveling the building also eliminated several staircases, including a few that had been “stairways to nowhere,” observed Caledonia Community Schools Superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer.
Weeldreyer was one of several Godfrey-Lee superintendents who shepherded the project through to its completion. He succeeded Polston as interim superintendent in July 2021 and served in that role until Mike Burde took over as superintendent in January 2022. Burde stepped down in February 2023 and the district brought back Weeldreyer to serve as interim until Arnetta Thompson joined the district as superintendent in June 2023.
During the tour, Polston said one of the “coolest” things about the renovated building was “you can now go from one end to the other and it’s ADA accessible.”
Rose added: “Renovating Lee to be more accessible ensures that all students, including those with disabilities, can navigate and utilize the facilities comfortably.”
Building School Pride
Another significant item on the project list included moving the old second-floor media center down to the main level, where it could be accessed from the street for community events. Three classrooms and a computer lab fill the former media center’s space.
The doorway into a brand-new library now exists where the old roof collapsed.
“That Godfrey-Lee chose to put a library at the heart of their new construction is a great compliment to our students,” district library media specialist Harry Coffill said.
As originally planned, a flexible learning space was constructed adjacent to the library, complete with movable furniture to allow for small-group or individual project work and community meetings. Students study between classes and during lunch at the high-top tables and chairs; it’s also the perfect size to host large group classroom lessons or a Spanish market.
“It’s a great space with a lot of options,” Steketee said.
The majority of added rooms, including the library and flex space, feature large windows, allowing natural light to pour in during the school day, “which is awesome,” Polston said.
In addition, an expanded cafeteria with new flexible seating options means students no longer have to spill into the hallways or band room to eat their lunch.
“We’ve been really pleased with the space,” Steketee said. “We reorganized lunches to have enough seating for students and they have new options for seating as well.”
Principal Rose said they recently hosted their homecoming and Halloween dances in the new lunch room and “the space was perfect for it.”
“Seeing the evolution of the school’s facilities is a source of pride,” she said. “The renovation of Lee represents not just physical improvements but a significant commitment to enhancing the educational experience for all students and the broader community.”
Added Steketee: “For the past few years, there hasn’t been much student pride in their school. Three to four years later, we have these remarkable spaces for our students to feel proud of.”
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