As summer came to a close, students walked through the front doors of Edison High expecting the same old, familiar halls. Instead, they were met with…fresh renovations! A reinvigorated building left some students wondering what else EHS has in store for this year. But it also left them with a few questions: How do these renovations benefit the school? How do the new and old staff and students feel about them? How do they affect the school’s morale? And most importantly, what exactly are we to expect this year?

Recently, the largest class in Edison High graduated on June 25, 2025, with over 600 students leaving the Nest. This year, a record-breaking 640 freshmen have been enrolled, leaving the school population at a total of 2,390 students at time of publication.

However, new students weren’t the only thing new to the school. The over-the-summer renovations, as yet unfinished, presented students with a new cafeteria, lobby, and hallways. In addition to modernizing the building, they have also improved security measures with the installation of a security office within the lobby.

Students and teachers have expressed a range of emotions and reactions. Some felt nostalgic as they watched the school grow, while others were excited about the modernization of the building.

“For me, I like them. I feel like it makes the school look newer and a little less musty,” Srinidhi Saravanan ‘27 said. “I feel like it kind of looked like that before, but now it doesn’t.”

But some students have felt it was weird to walk down these unfamiliar hallways.

“I don’t know if I like them; it feels new and weird. It’s just all bright, and it doesn’t feel natural.” Afrah Valiulla ‘27 said.

Teachers presented a different perspective, emphasizing the school’s dedication and effort to prioritize renovations.

“I was a little shocked with the decision, since the hallways were filled with students’ work and the love they have for the school,” said Ms. Emilia Ascolese, a special education teacher in her second year at Edison High. “But I’m appreciative of the fact that they decided to renovate, and I think the fact that they have money to put towards the building and remodel it, and keep it up to date, is nice. I personally would have liked some different choices towards the design, especially for the hallways, but once the students’ work is back on display, it will feel more like home.”

Ascolese is just one of the many teachers who are adjusting to the school’s renovations. Ms. Rabia Huda ‘12, a graduate and now an English teacher, has a close connection with the history of this school.

“For me, it’s very shocking, but I think what I’m really happy about is how Mr. Ross said he’s going to put up the class pictures again, and he’s going to put up canvases of the murals that were in that hallway,” said Huda. “So that gives me some peace, that there is still integrity and history to the building.”

While the Eagle pride that once colored our hallways won’t be forgotten and will still be appreciated throughout the portraits to be put up in the hallway, transformations will keep on occurring. Over the last fifteen years, the lighting, ceiling tiles, and floors have been continuously replaced as the gymnasium, fitness center, and dance studio have also been refurbished to meet the needs of the students. Although all grades are new to the changes, the freshmen who came to orientation had the biggest surprise as they saw the change happen in a matter of days.

“When I came to orientation day, everything was yellow. So when I came today, I was like, ‘Oh wow!’” Nahida Valiulla ‘29 said.

The changes brought in an air of something new–change and growth–keeping everyone on their toes and a part of something big.

“When people feel good about school, they go to what it looks like. They realize that they’re part of something special,” said principal Mr. Charles Ross. “It’s the people that make the building special, but when you’re in a nice building, it makes you feel better.”

Students have also shared similar sentiments about the feeling renovations produce.

“When the school makes improvements and everything, it boosts morale, right? Because they’re actually making an active effort to improve the school, to improve the community,” said Muaadh Inamul Hassan ‘26.

The renovations build up that encouragement and excitement to go to school, and not only that, but also to treat the building correctly.

“If you have a public park, but you don’t put any trash cans in the park, typically you can expect that litter is going to be left behind,” said English teacher Ms. Aimee Baer. “I think the space has an influence on the way people choose to use the space. Keeping the building updated, upgraded, fresh, and clean helps to reinforce that we are in a formal space that we care about. Renovations, I think, have a positive influence on that as well.”

This is not the end. The lobby, hallway, and cafeteria are not the only changes being made this school year. It’s simply the first of a planned set of additions to the school.

During the school year, there are plans for a new orchestra room and around twelve new classrooms added onto the back of the school on Preston Street. Right now, other systems are being upgraded for the better safety of the students.

“We’re replacing the fire alarm system. So every single fire alarm, every single pull station, every smoke detector, they’re all being replaced. You’ll see the exit signs are going to be looking different,” Ross said. “We also have some work going on with the electrical system in the kitchen. And we have a new physical fitness center going on outside.”

With many exciting promises and additions to look out for, the Edison High community stands eagerly awaiting. In the meantime, students and teachers can’t help but give their own input into dreams or hopes for future renovations to the school.

“Obviously, it’s very crowded here, and the main intersection is really difficult to navigate during passing. A student today told me she actually crowd surfed to lunch unintentionally,” History teacher Ms. Karen Kirkpatrick said. “I don’t know how that could be improved upon without making this building a middle school and starting from scratch.”

Expansion has been the favorite answer, students conveying their wishes for wider hallways and more space. Others ask for cleaner and newer bathrooms, wishing them to have that same new modernization as the renovations have given us. Some want changes made not to the school building, but to its student programs.

“I wish that they would put more funding into athletics other than the main ones,” said Hassan, a member of the wrestling team. “Like, obviously, you have a lot of funding for the football team. You have a lot of funding for the basketball team. But not a lot goes into others.”

This year’s renovations have spread a lot of talk throughout the school, including ideas for the future. The most notable change is found in the students. The freshmen, for example, are in awe, and it just goes to show that the changes are for the betterment of the students. It’s all about Eagle pride, truly; it’s the people who make the building grow.