Elk Grove High School is continuing its evolution.
A series of recommendations made by the District 214 Task Force (a group made up of teachers, administrators and students who make monetary decisions) will become reality in time for the 2015-2016 school year.
The changes come as part of a $45 million initiative to improve facilities throughout the district.
“The district hit a certain level of money that was being held in reserves,” Principal Paul Kelly said. “Rather than the district making a decision [to] just buy something, they decided to put together a group of people to talk about what our whole district should use those excess funds for.”
Among the more welcomed changes is the renovation of the school’s theater.
“This is my 25th year working at Elk Grove, and there really haven’t any renovations to the theater [in that time],” Fine Arts Coordinator Joseph Wolfe said. “We are glad that we’re at least getting some type of renovation.”
Also welcomed are improvements for the school’s athletic facilities, such as the addition of an auxiliary gym.
“Our current athletic facilities were built when Elk Grove only had a few sports,” Boys Athletic Director Jon Rowley said. 

The obligation to start construction early on artificial turf for the school’s football field to bring it in line with other fields in the district means that graduation will be held in the school’s gymnasium this year.
“It’s always [been] a possibility to have graduation in the gym,” Associate Principal Kyle Burritt said. “It just so happens that this year we know about it in October versus at 9 a.m. [on] the day of graduation.”

The administration considered other options outside school property, but ultimately chose the gym when they felt that hosting graduation at another venue did not carry significant advantages.
“I believe it’s very important for us to have our graduation at our school,” Kelly said. “Many members of the community have a real attachment to our school site, and I share that feeling.”
Seniors, however, are split on the change in venue.
“I feel like having it in the gym would just [make the ceremony] be crammed,” senior Jordan Royal said. “[There] just wouldn’t be much room… it’d get really hot really fast. Everybody’s just going to be in a bad mood, and that won’t help anybody.”
Others are more indifferent to the change.
“If the school needs to move something because of construction or weather or anything like that, I just go with it,” senior Ryan Hunt said.
While the decision on the venue is final, the administration understands the frustration of seniors.
“My hope is that they understand that I would never do something in a way that would feel like I don’t care about their feelings,” Kelly said.
Ultimately, Kelly is satisfied with the changes that will be made.
“100 percent of the recommendations from [the] Task Force were actually approved by the school board,” Kelly said. “I think nothing could be more fair.”