Marysville High School and Croswell Lexington High School
Rather, contemporary schools have as much, or more, room dedicated to extracurricular activities as
they do to learning.
Take Marysville High School, which opened this month, for example. About 70% of the 238,000-
square-foot building is dedicated to things such as gyms, a pool and even a coffee bar. That can be
compared with older high schools such as Port Huron and Port Huron Northern-- built in 1957 and
1964, respectively -- where Superintendent H. Ronald Wollen said classrooms account for 75-80%
of the buildings.
There are several reasons schools are taking on a new look, educators and builders said, and at least one is self-serving: As districts struggle to maintain enrollment, catching the eyes of students and parents elsewhere is important.
Another explanation is education itself is changing, Wollen said. Teaching today's students -- "21st
century learners," as Wollen calls them -- is a whole new ball game.
"There's no question in my mind that many schools are going to look different than what we are used
to," he said.