Students say hello, good-bye to Hampshire High School
By DAVID FITZGERALD - dfitzgerald@nwherald.com
HAMPSHIRE - Hampshire High School junior Mike Lober has been in the same school building since sixth grade.
The current high school is attached to the middle school, and together they can hold about 900 students in a building that dates back to the 1950s.
“I’m ready to see something bigger that offers more classes,” Lober said.
And that’s exactly what he is about to get. The new, state-of-the-art high school is more than twice the size of the current one and will allow administrators to offer more courses, sports and activities.
While Lober and his classmates traverse the hallways Thursday on one of the final school days of the year at the old Hampshire High, across town his new school will be getting its final inspection from the Kane County Regional Office of Education.
But the move from the old school to the new will be bittersweet for many.
Junior Evan Brenner, a two-sport athlete at the school, said he was looking forward to playing on the new football field next year, but he would miss the old one.
“We’ll lose some of the tradition - all of the games we’ve played on our fields. It’s a rich tradition we have here,” Brenner said.
But teammate Matt Koofner said the change brought a new beginning.
“We’ll be able to start a new tradition,” said Koofner, a junior. “It will be awesome.”
Tina Tuminaro, a sophomore, said some of her family also went to the school, and now that tradition would change.
“I’m going to miss it,” said Tuminaro. “But I’m looking forward to the change.”
Principal Chuck Bumbales said the staff members would miss the current building
“There are certain attachments you get to any facility you work in,” Bumbales said.
But he said everyone was looking forward to the expanded offerings at the new school.
Now that the school has an auditorium, drama and acting classes will be offered. And the school will get a family and consumer science department, allowing parenting, foods and sewing classes. The new building also has labs for photography, graphic arts, sewing and residential wiring - all new for Hampshire.
And, for the first time, Hampshire will have wrestling and tennis teams, in addition to a pom squad, thanks to the added space.
“The current building has been adjusted and seen additions to keep it as comparable to the other district [high school] buildings as possible,” Bumbales said. “Now there is no question that we will be able to compare.”
The public won’t get to see the new school until an official dedication ceremony Aug. 24, only a few days before classes start.
“I think people are going to be very proud to have this be a school in their community,” Bumbales said.
