Skyline’s cafeteria got a surprise renovation over the summer. It was so surprising even the principal said she was “shocked.”
The updates include new flooring, serving counters and appliances. The district said the goal was to refresh the space, but a lot of students don’t feel like much has really changed. However, what many do not know is that the cafeteria work isn’t done yet.
During a press conference on Sept. 5, Principal Rebecca Huang said the school district has plans for more changes, including Skyline branding, new windows, seating options and possibly even a charging station. She added that the finished cafeteria may end up looking similar to the “In-N-Out” style of the new 20s bathroom.
Huang explained that the projects came after pressure from Skyline students and parents, who wrote to the district asking for facility improvements. She pointed out that Fremont High had recently gotten district funding for a complete rebuild, and in response to the complaints from Skyline, the district agreed to put money into the cafeteria, along with one bathroom set of the school’s choice. The school chose the 20s building bathrooms to be renovated. The bathroom changes include new stalls, mirrors, hand dryers, as well as new flooring and tiles. The tiles are white with red accents.
The bathroom renovation was received fairly well by students. “The new bathrooms look nice,” said AED sophomore Selina Tomas-Ramirez. CHED sophomore Tameem Ahmed joked, “The bathroom looks like In-N-Out.”
Previously, the 20s bathrooms were dirty, with broken mirrors and broken stalls. And similar to the cafeteria, the choice to renovate a single set of bathrooms came as a surprise to students and faculty alike.
On the other hand, some students feel the cafeteria project just didn’t land — at least what has been finished so far.
When asked if the renovation was needed, AED senior Cecil Carpenter said, “No, not really; they didn’t renovate anything.” He described his experience as “unchanged” since he said he used the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch before and after the summer revamp.
Other upperclassmen had a similar reaction.
Standing nearby to Carpenter, AED seniors Noah Penson and Elliot Chin both said they would have rather seen updates to the gymnasium and locker rooms.
They also said they’d have preferred other bathrooms to be fixed up the way the 20s bathrooms were.
Ms. Huang said Skyline is not allowed to spend any of its money on building renovations, so the school has had to accept what the district chooses to do.
Looking ahead, she said Skyline is in line for a bigger round of district funding, adding that those likely will not come while many current students are here.
While Ms. Huang didn’t share details, she said the new money could go toward a major renovation that would bring more noticeable changes.
For now, students are split. Some feel the renovation was a missed opportunity, while others are waiting to see what the next round of improvements brings. Whether Skyline gets the updates students want most is up to how the district decides to spend its future funding.
