First Day at New High School Had Bumps and Successes

The first day of school for Ankeny High School juniors and seniors should hold few surprises.

Unless they have to navigate the halls of a new $43 million building.

Armed with their class schedules and books Monday, students spent the first day of the 2011-12 school year exploring the halls and taking in the wide, open spaces of the new Ankeny High School.

At the end of the day, there was one word on the minds of Ankeny students to describe their new digs: big.

“It’s a big building,” said senior Maddie Manning.

“A very big building!” said junior Anna Douglas.

“But it’s a nice building,” Manning continued.

Monday marked the culmination of more than three years of planning and construction for the facility.

Construction began in fall 2008. The new high school boasts 63 classrooms, a lunchroom with five different types of seating and a state-of-the-art media center, to name a few amenities.

The school was built to house 1,400 kids but can be expanded to serve 1,800. About 1,000 enrolled students are expected this year.

While each 11^th- and 12^th-grade student underwent orientation, many still encountered challenges on their first day.

“The hardest part was finding my classes,” said junior Kamarin Roberts. “I was late to every single one.”

Junior Olivia Barragan likes her new school.

“It’s a lot less crowded,” she said.

It wasn’t the building that had junior Ian Begg enjoying his first day.

“I got to see (all my friends) from last year,” he said.

There was one part of the new school many were particularly fond of.

“The food,” said Roberts.

And despite challenges, students are confident they will work through all the bumps.

“Everything’s been upgraded,” Manning said. “Once we get used to it, everything will be good.”