During summer vacation, North made $230,000 in renovations to the building and grounds.

On the first day of school, students were able to see all the changes that were added.

During the summer, many improvements were made to the school. District 202 facilitated the improvements to the hallways, the gym and the front entrance. One company named VIP, was responsible for the wraps on the doors.

“It was done by the company that takes our athletic pictures…. VIP,” Principal Ross Draper said. During the summer, District 202 made improvements to the gym doors and the weight room as well.

The booster club was able to donate the funds and pay for the improvements on the gym doors and weight room doors.

“In this case, the improvements were the photo wrapping of the doors to the gym and workout rooms with Plainfield North Tiger images,” athletic booster club president Scott Spangler said.

“I think it looks really nice and makes the doors pop out nicely,” senior Ashli Johnson said.

The weight room doors look similar to the gym doors because the same company, VIP, came up with the designs.

“The company came up with a design which we really liked so we went with it, so the company got all the doors done at the same time and it really looks good,” Athletic Director Ron Lear said. “I’m really happy with the way it turned out.”

The athletic booster club funded $2,928 for the doors.

“The portion supplied by the Athletic Boosters came from our general funding account, which is built up over the course of the school year through the proceeds of concessions, spirit wear sales, PNHS Athletic Booster membership fees, annual bowling fund raiser, and our annual golf fund raiser in June…the Battle of 119th St. against Plainfield East,” Spangler said.

The booster club wanted to spend money on the gym doors and weight room doors because they wanted the images on the doors to show school spirit.

“Mr. Ron Lear approached the Athletic Boosters late last spring and informed us of the idea to add these improvements to the school,” Spangler said. “While not directly benefiting any specific sport or team, the Boosters felt that these additions would be a positive aesthetic addition to the image of the school and help in fostering School pride and spirit.”

The booster club met earlier in the summer and decided on what needed to be improved.

“The funding approval was requested during our June Athletic Booster meeting, where representatives from over two dozen sports team voted on the funding request,” Spangler said. Other improvements that were made in the athletic wing include: new lights in the gym, new lights in the weight room, and a spotlight in the gym.

“In the dance room, the weight room, and multipurpose room, we went to LED so it’s more cost effective,” Draper said.

“As far as other improvements this year, we added new lights in the gym now, which is nice, because it brightens the lights in the gym,” Lear said.

The experiences of outside visitors to North was another consideration when making the changes.

“We’re always looking to make sure to building feels welcoming just to give the best appearance possible,” Assistant Principal Darnell Weathersby said.

Several areas of the building and grounds were refreshed.

“We resealed and striped the parking lot, we cleaned and refinished the gym floor and the stage, painted the press box crimson, we recertified the curtains in the auditorium for the fire code, we put in tiles in a few classrooms, then we painted a few classrooms,” Draper said.

Many students noticed the new flooring that was put in the main hallway in the summer.

“The new tiles look pretty good,” senior Alicia Sinclair said.

There are also new enhancements to the athletic hallway. Plaques were placed in the hallway that honors the spring teams that finished a state tournament or were state champions. There are also pictures of the lacrosse team.

“We’ve added the action shots for lacrosse now as a sport, those are now up there, which is really nice to see,” Lear said.

Some students, though feel that the money for the improvements should have been used for other commodities.

“I think the money should have been spent on better lunches,” senior Parker Lopez said.

Other students feel that the money could have been used in the classroom.

“They could have used the money for more educational purposes,” junior Haley Mulligan said.

Every Plainfield school is put on a five-year plan and receives money from the district for maintenance and improvements.

“It’s not every year we get $230,000,” Draper said. “It depends on when we need to get those repairs and maintenance things done.”

The five-year plan is undertaken by each school in the district so that the money can be used to repair overused equipment.

“They work their way through elementary, middle schools, and high schools and then you kind of have your opportunity to get those things fixed and repaired,” Draper said.