[August 23, 2011] Commons thrills students at Roxana Junior-Senior High School Tweet ROXANA, Aug 23, 2011 (The Telegraph - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The new, shared junior and senior high Commons is anything but common, adding a modern, multi-purpose space for student use. "I can't believe all the choices," one student said. "This is great!" Ready for student use on the first day of classes, the new $4 million Commons is a 13,171-square-foot addition with a seating capacity of 520 people. "The existing cafeteria was too small to serve the needs of our student population," Roxana School District Superintendent Debra Kreutztrager said. "We still have four lunch periods, but students can eat together instead of being spread out in adjacent rooms like they were in the past. "Because of the limited space, closing campus was not an option before," she said. "Now, students have a great environment to enjoy lunch." The outdoor dining area will be completed this fall. Because of the additional seating capacity, the district was able to implement a closed-campus policy, Kreutztrager said. The new Commons also can be used for banquets, small performances and, possibly, presentations. "The space is air-conditioned, which gives the kids a cool zone," she said. "So, we're very excited." The new area has an elevator, providing accessibility to all levels of the junior high. Because the junior and senior high schools are not connected on every level, separate elevators had to be installed. There now is an elevator in the high school, as well. Breakfast is served each day, beginning at 7:30 a.m.; lunch starts at 11 a.m. Students will be offered a variety of choices provided via food court serving lines. "Some of the choices are a deli bar, hot sandwiches, a chef's special, a salad bar and a changing food bar, which will include Asian, Italian, a potato or pasta bar and barbecue," Kreutztrager said. "The snack bar also has 100 percent fruit juice slushies, smoothies, hot and cold sandwiches, and salads." The cafeteria/commons is the first building project that the district has undertaken since 1965, giving them an opportunity to incorporate state-of-the-art technology. "The space was designed for energy efficiency," Kreuztrager explained. "The lighting controls use light-harvesting technology, and the entrances have electronic keyless access for security." Stage lighting, which has been integrated into the electronic lighting system, is available for scheduled performances. For presentations, the Commons has an automated 12-foot projection screen and video system that includes a projector with computer with a variety of audio and video inputs. "I can't believe we have this," another student was heard saying. [email protected] ___ (c)2011 The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) Visit The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) at www.thetelegraph.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]