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St. Cloud Public School District hears detailed update on Apollo High School renovation
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Summary
District officials reported construction progress at Apollo High School, including an under-construction EMT/EMR lab, awarded precast contracts to keep storm-shelter permitting on schedule, new CTE labs and interior wayfinding changes; the project is phased over two years with a targeted refreshed facility in 2028.
At its March 18 meeting, the St. Cloud Public School District Board of Education heard a detailed update on the Apollo High School renovation project from architects with JLG Architects and school principal Justin Sculleroot.
Justin Sculleroot, principal at Apollo High School, said the presentation was intended to show how the referendum-funded work will support “future-ready learning” and expand hands-on Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities.
Architects David Leopold and Whitney Lockheed described construction progress and near-term steps. They told the board the EMT/EMR lab is under construction and that precast supplier contracts have been awarded so permitting and plan review for the storm shelter can proceed to meet an August 2026 permitting milestone. “We’ve awarded contracts to the precast supplier,” the presentation stated, describing that step as necessary to keep the project’s start timeline intact.
On the exterior, the design team outlined a coordinated wayfinding plan with the city that includes street signage and two monument signs at the site entrances, plus a large freestanding Apollo High School sign intended to direct visitors to the main entry and parking. The presenters said the site also will include clear circulation for Apex (an added program at the site) so visitors can find appropriate parking and entrances.
Inside the building, designers said they will add a controlled entrance and welcome center, infill the courtyard to expand common seating, and roughly double the serving square footage in the cafeteria by relocating dishwashing and concessions. The project will also create four new CTE labs in the former north media center — FlexLab, Culinary, Computer Science, and Communications and Graphics — with glass fronting along a new primary corridor to display student work.
On safety and security, the team emphasized code-required compartmentalization. They described firewalls that divide the building into compartments to aid evacuation and to provide more controlled access for law enforcement and first responders. Presenters said the design includes card readers on exterior and selected interior doors to detect unauthorized openings and to allow administration or first responders to enter compartments if needed.
Designers also described interior wayfinding using carpeting patterns and colored floor stripes tied to wing numbers (for example, the “400 Wing”), portals that mark transitions into different areas and concealed automatic fire doors that normally remain open for daily flow. “We’re using some pin lights and…constellations that allow us to light that differently,” one presenter said, noting thematic elements tied to the school’s visuals.
The team outlined a continuous two-year phasing schedule intended to limit disruption to student learning, with some work restricted to summer months. They provided a QR code linking to a phased plan on the district website and said the refreshed Apollo is targeted to be completed in 2028.
Board members responded positively at the meeting, thanking the presenters and the collaborative team that included district staff and the construction manager, Bradbury Stamm. The presentation closed and the board moved to the next information item.
What’s next: the district posted a phased phasing plan online (board presenters provided a QR code during the meeting) and said permitting activity for the storm shelter and remaining bid packages will proceed through the spring and summer.
