After years of work, McKeesport’s transformed
high school courtyard dedicated May 29
Renovating a courtyard that’s completely enclosed by the wings and hallways of a high school can present some unique problems – especially if you’re watching your pennies.
For example, how do you truck in tons of cement for the new walkways and other paved areas? And what do you do about that huge satellite dish that was never meant to fit through the door of a school?
If you’re Mike Locke and his Building Construction students at McKeesport Area High School, you buy 12 wheelbarrows, park the cement mixer in a rear area of the school, lay a trail of wooden planks across the hallway and work through the school day, class after class, to bring it in. “If we had pumped it in, the cost would be incredible,” Locke said.
And the old satellite dish, an eyesore in a corner? It was turned upside down and used as the roof for a small gazebo tucked in a corner of the courtyard. “We built the gazebo as a place for the teachers to have lunch because they let me have the kids for extra hours.,” Locke said. “When the cement truck came, we had to call the kids out of class.”
While formal dedication of the new courtyard is set for Thursday, May 29, Locke and his students work on, cleaning up and preparing to install the commemorative bricks purchased by Tiger alumni and other supporters through the McKeesport High School Alumni & Friends Association. The alumni association, in cooperation with McKeesport Area School District, undertook the project as a “give-back gift” to the high school.
Over the past 20 years, the alumni association has made a number of these give-backs for worthwhile projects at the high school, but the courtyard is, by far, the largest ever attempted. Alumni association president, Dr. Linda L. Croushore (MHS Class of 1964), estimates that nearly $55,000 has been spent to date and adds, “We’re still looking for more brick sales and for donors who might fund some of the last features of the courtyard, such as a fountain and benches.”
At one time, the inner courtyard was a pleasing oasis of green in the middle of the school. It was built as part of the original high school 47 years ago. Over time, it deteriorated and fell into disuse, except as a shortcut for students going from one wing of the school to another.
From the very first discussions the alumni association had with students and faculty in 2001, there was consensus that the courtyard should be a “looking and learning” green space and that it should brought back to life as an area in which both today's students and yesterday's graduates can take pride.
The association, which asks for give-back funds from its members each year, initially pledged $10,000 for removal of broken concrete and nuisance trees, then set about raising more money to begin the larger transformation. The late landscape architect George Kemp contributed a basic plan and Locke and his students took it from there, beginning work in Fall of 2006.
They ripped out crumbling concrete benches, oversaw the tree removal, and broke up other concrete – all of which had to be hauled out. The concrete was “a severe problem,… There probably were 15 dump truck loads,” Locke recalled.
Then the forms for the walkways went in and the first concrete pour came just before Christmas of 2006. The last pour came in October of 2007. According to Locke, more than 100 yards of concrete were poured. To date, there also have been over 100 tons of dirt delivered and an equal amount of stone and mulch.
Today, the walkways wrap neatly around the courtyard, leading up to a pergola and matching backdrop that frame permanent risers that can be used for outdoor classes or concerts. New trees and plantings are blooming. A dry pond is situated in one corner. And the life of the school goes on around the edges of the space –small science projects, a pre-school play area for the child care program.
Locke’s imagination and his students’ (60 per school year) ability to improvise and willingness to work have shaped the new courtyard. He managed to get his own Bobcat through the doors and into the courtyard, but most of the labor was hands-on. “This has been real work for the students, so the educational value has been incredible,” Locke said.
When it became apparent that the original landscaping plan did not quite fit the budget, Locke decided on a natural theme that relied on what was available already in the courtyard and “what would really work out there.” His students had input: “We talked about a pond but there were safety concerns, so we put in a dry pond. The kids took great pride in it.”
He was looking at trellises when he came across a pergola: “I thought it would be a good thing for the kids to build.”
“My students loved doing this as much as I did. It has been a monumental job and they came through and they finished it. That’s about as real as it gets,” Locke added.
Bricks, priced at $100 each, still are available from the alumni association. Click here for order form.
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