WELLINGTON — When the "Old Ag Shop" at Wellington Middle School was constructed in 1982, it was designed for a different era of education. Forty-four years later, the building remains largely untouched, serving as a patchwork of classrooms, storage, and district operations.
On March 3, local voters will head to the polls to decide on a $17,850,000 bond project, a significant portion of which is dedicated to finally modernizing this aging facility.
A Multipurpose Space Under Strain
Currently, the Old Ag Shop is a building of conflicting identities. It houses the Fresh Start Program for credit recovery, popular horticulture classes, and the district’s weight training area. However, it also pulls double duty as the district’s shipping and receiving warehouse and the home of the Information Technology (IT) Department.
This "shared space" has created many logistical and safety challenges. Students lifting weights often find themselves surrounded by shipping boxes, warehouse machinery, and sensitive computer servers. District officials note that the current layout presents constant safety challenges for both students and employees.
Dignity for Every Learner
An emotional driver for the remodel is the state of the Fresh Start Program. Designed to help students recover credits and stay on track for graduation, the program currently operates in a space described as being in "severe deterioration."
"The current classroom sends a message to these students that they are not important," school representatives stated. "A remodeled space would be more engaging and appropriate to support our struggling learners."
Expanding Opportunities: From Art to Esports
The proposed remodel isn't just about repairs; it’s about expansion of learning opportunities. Key highlights of the plan include:
- Career & Technical Education (CTE): Improvements to the agricultural shop area will support one of the school's most popular programs, helping middle schoolers explore career interests before reaching high school. An additional shop for other hands-on CTE coursework will also be provided. Here students get hands-on experience with saws, drills, and other industrial tools.
- A New Home for Art: The art department will relocate to the shop, gaining dedicated workstations and necessary sink facilities. This move solves a long-standing issue where the current art room doubles as a hallway, leading to learning disruptions and security issues for student projects and art supplies and equipment.
- Technology & Esports: A dedicated computer technology area will be built with the electrical infrastructure needed for modern classes. This space will also serve as a practice area for the school’s Esports team, which has reached state and national levels of competition in just a few short years after its inception.
Safety Through Separation
The primary goal of the architectural redesign is separation. By creating distinct zones, the district aims to keep student learning environments entirely independent from the high-traffic Warehouse Operations and the IT Department.
A floor plan for the proposed remodel has been released to the public, detailing how the 1982 structure will be gutted and reimagined into a sleek, functional center for 21st-century learning.
Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. For more information on the bond projects and the financial impact, please visit the district website at www.usd353.com.