Major renovations to transform EPHS spaces

A new innovation hub, increased community space, and centralized student advisory pods are just a few of the upcoming renovations that will transform a large section of Eden Prairie High School (EPHS).

The changes are designed to modernize the facility, improve daily educational experiences, and increase comfort and convenience for students, families, and staff, according to Kyle Fisher, Eden Prairie Schools’ director of facilities, safety, and grounds. 

Construction began in June and most of the work is expected to be complete by the start of the new school year on Sept. 3, although some parts are planned to be done by November.

Fisher said he is happy with progress on the project, which is the school’s first major overhaul since the early to mid-1980s. He said the renovations and updates “showcase the intent and vision we have as a district to provide what we can for all of our students.”

Funding for the renovations will come from long-term facilities maintenance and capital funds. The school board approved construction contracts in February, with Knutson Construction engaged as the construction manager on the project.

The district budgeted $7.7 million for the project, and it is currently on time and under budget, according to Dirk Tedmon, EP Schools’ executive director of marketing and communications. The final cost will not be certain until the project is complete, however.

A $100,000 grant from the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS) will be used to help pay for programming for a new emerging technologies lab, but will not be used toward construction costs, Tedmon said.

To minimize costs where possible, Fisher said the district is reusing as much furniture as it can, and is also incorporating some of the lightly used office furniture it acquired with the recent UNFI building purchase for its TASSEL (Teaching All Students Skills for Employment and Life) Transition program. “It’s almost brand-new furniture, so we’re definitely taking advantage of that,” he said.

The TASSEL renovations, which have not yet begun, are expected to be planned and completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year, he said. For now, TASSEL will be in a temporary location on the building’s lower level.

Entrance spaces

Once renovations are complete, the first thing visitors to EPHS will see is a newly updated and more secure main entrance space. Previously, the South Entrance was relatively small, unassuming and dark.

Now, visitors will enter a brighter, more open space and proceed to a welcome desk on the right. Behind that, the principal’s office suite will be located, along with spaces for the school resource officers, the school nurse, and other district staff.

To the left there will be private meeting spaces for families and staff, a private restroom, and a kitchen for family meetings. 

This and other primary entrances, including the East Entrance and Performing Arts Center, will be also now be marked with exterior brick cladding stained black. There will also be updated exterior lighted signage, consistent with the district’s other buildings.

Innovation hub

The new collaborative innovation hub, which includes an emerging technologies lab with programming funded by the $100,000 Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS) grant, will be located adjacent to the South Commons in what was previously administrative office space.

The lab will have space to experiment with emerging technologies like virtual reality and robotics, as well as high-performance computing subscriptions for use in artificial intelligence and other technologies.

The hub will be accessible to students and staff, as well as to community partners for showcases, presentations, and guest instruction. 


Student services team advisory pods

Three newly created administrative pods will centralize students’ advisory experiences. EPHS students are each assigned by alphabet to an assistant principal, a dean, a social worker, and a counselor. 

Previously, those administrators were siloed together in their own office sectors. Now, three pods have been created to make a “one-stop shop” for students, so they can just go to single location to see their assigned advisors.

Robb Virgin, EP Schools’ assistant superintendent of secondary education, said this new student-centered model will also make it easier for advisors to confer as needed about the students in their care, especially since so many student supports are intertwined.

Fisher said two of the pods will be complete by the start of the school year. Pod 1, which is adjacent to the aeronautics lab and takes over the previous art room space as well as some staff offices, is the only area that is planned to be complete by Nov. 1 instead of the first day of school, Fisher said. 

Expanded Special Education department space

The Special Education department, which as in most schools, is the largest department at EPHS, was overcrowded in its previous office space, Virgin said.

To improve this, Special Education will now take over the spaces previously occupied by Student Center East (which previously housed counselors and social workers) and the Career Resource Center.

This will create a single common space for the department, which will make things more convenient for students, their families, and the department’s teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff.

“They’ll have better work spaces and the old offices will create better conference rooms for when families come in for IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings,” Virgin said.

Updated, enlarged South Commons 

The South Commons is being updated and expanded, which will improve daily student dining and make it more convenient for extracurricular events like robotics competitions, meetings, concerts, and other community events.

New luxury vinyl plank flooring is being installed throughout. The upper space will have new floor-to-ceiling storefront windows to allow for more natural light, replacing the previous windows that began about 34 inches off the ground. A new projector and screen is also being added.

Additional seating for 100 will enable the space to accommodate more people and the current cafe-style tables in the elevated space will be replaced with traditional round cafeteria tables. This will make it easier to change the room around and also easier to clean, Fisher said. 

Changes to learning spaces

Paint and new flooring (luxury vinyl plank flooring and/or carpet, depending on the space) will freshen up some corridors and several areas including the media center, which will also have its stacks reorganized to make more efficient use of space. A few classrooms also had necessary HVAC repairs and new floor-to-ceiling windows.

A few other class spaces are being repurposed or relocated. For instance, the art room space was needed to create one of the student advisory pods, so now the art room will will share a similar-sized space next door with the Family and Consumer Science department’s sewing room.

Fisher said this is possible due to scheduling needs that previously left classrooms empty and the fact that the art and sewing activities can easily coexist without compromising either. Other Family and Consumer Science spaces as well as the art department’s ceramics room will remain as is, he added.