Two aspects of school remodeling are predictable: the schedule is short and the budget is tight. However, school staff and teachers can bring other assets to the process: resourcefulness and creativity that make the mission possible. At Arbor Park School District 145, in the Chicago suburbs, they were able to bring outdated rooms back to life and make learning spaces by the application of carpeting, paint and ceilings made of Ceilume thermoformed acoustic panels.
The computer lab for first and second graders at Morton Gingerwood Elementary School had old computers and even older layout and finishes. David Termunde, M.Ed., the district’s chief technology officer, replaced the computers.
Next, they created a colorful paint scheme, saving money by pairing the job with other paint work in the school. They bought curvy tables from a budget-conscious home furnishings store, and three colors of carpet tiles to create a pattern on the floor.
After removing the worn-out white mineral fiber ceiling panels, Termunde decided an alternative type of ceiling would help change the room. He selected Ceilume thermoformed acoustic panels based on his experience using them in the offices and server rooms at his former business. The lightweight panels fit conventional two-inch by two-inch and two-inch by four-inch suspended ceiling grids and are available in a wide variety of finishes and dimensional styles.
The thermoformed ceiling has been working well for the district. “The panels are waterproof,” Termunde says. “We have had leaks in the ceilings, and the Ceilume panels didn’t get ruined. Maintenance likes them because they’re easy to install, probably the easiest part of the entire remodel. Now, anytime we get to do a room, it’s, ‘what can we do with the ceiling?’”
Termunde has already taken this creative and cost-saving approach to Arbor Park Middle School where they switched over to Microsoft computers and gave every student a Microsoft Surface Go tablet. He felt a traditional lab computer with rows of computers wasn’t conducive to the new curriculum. Termunde transformed the old room with a strong visual theme. With a miniscule remodeling budget, light gray walls replaced boring beige and one Skype-blue wall acknowledging how the students connect online with classrooms around the world. New tables were sourced for $50 from the bankruptcy of a nearby department store.
Microsoft logos constructed from colored vinyl sheets decorate the windows, and a logo formed in colored carpet tiles at the center of the room provides a place where kids can lie on the floor or sit on cushions with their devices. From that spot, they can look upwards into the clear Ceilume Southland ceiling panels that form the central section of the ceiling.
