Winnetka Campus Tours and Facility Presentations

Take a guided, narrated tour through the Winnetka Campus. Hear from Superintendent Linda Yonke about the facilities challenges at the Winnetka and Northfield campuses.

Watch this site for a Fall Tour Schedule coming soon.

Facilities Options Presented to New Trier Board of Education

Options for the future of the New Trier facilities were presented at a Special Meeting of the Board of Education on July 7th, 2008.  Watch the presentation by selecting the "July 7th Board Meeting" from the "Watch Online" section on the right of this web page.

The presentation summarized the work of the Facilities Workshop Committee.  This 60-member group -- comprised of community, staff and students -- met monthly from March through early June to examine facilities issues at the Winnetka and Northfield campuses in light of educational needs now and in the future.  Architects from the firm Perkins + Will, who facilitated the Workshop Committee meetings, also attended the presentation.

The presentation outlined the "pros" and "cons" of each of the facilities options -- ranging from selected renovation at both campuses to significant demolition and reconstruction.  Long range plans for both the Northfield and Winnetka campuses will be discussed.

The Board of Education will continue to study the options this summer and fall, and will establish a timeline regarding facilities planning.

Many community members have chosen to attend the informational meetings and Winnetka Campus tours that the District has hosted throughout the spring.  Additional tour and meeting dates will be scheduled this summer and fall. At these meetings, Superintendent Linda Yonke will describe the facilities planning process and potential construction project, and will answer residents' questions related to the facilities study.  Following each meeting, community members may view campus strengths and facilities challenges during a walking tour of the building, led by John Neiweem, Director of Physical Plant Services.  Please check this web page and local media for these upcoming tour dates.

New Trier has been engaged in the major facilities study since fall 2007. The nationally-renowned architectural firm of Perkins + Will was engaged this spring to help guide the next phase of the process. The question guiding the study is: Do the New Trier facilities support the kind of education that our students need in the 21st century?

    * Major areas of the Winnetka campus have not been overhauled in 50-85 years.
    * 71 regular classrooms were built in either 1934 or 1957, and were designed for different teaching and learning than is practiced today.
    * The cafeteria was built in 1912, with kitchens and serving areas that are inadequate for today's needs.
    * Physically impaired students and staff cannot access specific sections of buildings.
    * One elevator serves 3,500 people daily in a 850,000 square foot campus.
    * Teachers have identified additional deficiencies, including the number and size of classrooms, the design of elective areas, lack of storage for student projects, and inadequate space for extracurricular needs.

Please feel free to submit your questions in the space at the right. You will receive an e-mail response as soon as possible thereafter. We appreciate your interest and involvement.

Winnetka Campus Building Age Plan
Click to enlarge