The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) gave a tour Sept. 18 of two North Side schools currently being rebuilt as part of its Phase 1 Facilities projects.
Ten schools across seven sites are being rebuilt or renovated through the 2024 Facilities Referendum. The schools include Cherokee Heights, Crestwood, Sherman/Shabazz, Toki/Orchard Ridge, Black Hawk/Gompers, Sennett and Milele Chikasa Anana.
All 10 schools are among the district’s oldest, with each building at least 60 years old and some approaching 100 years. The total cost of the projects is $507 million.
The district offered tours of Black Hawk/Gompers and Sherman/Shabazz, both of which will receive new buildings serving the four schools at two separate North Side sites.
A more modular setup with the future in mind for Black Hawk and Gompers
Black Hawk and Gompers share a building on Madison’s far North Side that was originally constructed in 1959, with additions completed in 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1972.
The district provided a report card on the current condition of the building, highlighting areas in need of significant repairs and improvements.
Among the issues identified were windows without locks, water-damaged ceiling tiles, sinks that do not meet current ADA standards, inaccessible drinking fountains, heavily deteriorated doors, leaks coming through walls and poor climate control in classrooms. The report also described the library as a maze of offices and underutilized space, in part because of inadequate storage.
The new building is a ways off from being finished, but Scott Chehak, MMSD’s senior executive director of building services, gave insights into how the building has been designed and how it addresses the needs of the school both now and in the future.
“We can do arts one day, metals the next, whatever it is, and change it around to robotics or plumbing. Whatever that happens to be, these buildings are flexible,” Chehak said. “It’s worth thinking ahead, not just today. What’s tomorrow’s education rates?”
Sections of the buildings are able to be closed off so as to not disturb the flow of other classes, which is not present in the current school. Chehak emphasized a more modular approach to the design of the school that enables more usability for whatever students may need.
That same philosophy has also been applied to the school’s systems, like its geothermal pumps — which the school will have four of.
“This building is all geocharged. We no longer have unit events in the room where something happens or the construction guys going in there and kids are working,” Chehak said. “It’s all built externally from the classroom. One, for accessibility and quick for our teams to get after it, but also not to intrude on our instruction time for our students and our teachers.”
(Photo by Omar Waheed)
Madison365 spoke with Black Hawk’s and Gomper’s principals Aaron Willis and Maxia Thao to get their impressions of the new building.
The two are excited for new beginnings and investment in the North Side, which they both agreed has been needed for a long time.
“To be able to have our separate spaces, the air conditioning of course, is a top priority for staff and students,” Maxia said. “When our buildings are hot and humid, students have a hard time focusing. Staff too. They’re trying to work through it, but it’s exciting to be able to have safe and appropriate facilities for students to be able to learn here.”
Willis is excited for more space and the opportunity for the two schools to collaborate more.
“Lots of collaboration spaces. Having more space is better than having less space. I know in the middle school … allowing different grade levels to collaborate and be together more often.,” Willis said.
Completion for Black Hawk and Gompers is anticipated for Fall 2027. More information and updates about the school can be found on MMSD’s website for its 2024 Facilities Referendum.
(Photo by Omar Waheed)
A near-century-old building replaced
Sherman Middle School and Malcolm Shabazz City High School are housed in one of the oldest, if not the oldest, buildings in the Madison Metropolitan School District. The building was originally constructed in 1928, with additions completed in 1952, 1959, 1968, 1972, 1973 and 2003.
As MMSD developed plans for a new building, principals Alex Thompson and Nathan O’Shaughnessy noted at previous community meetings that much of the existing school is inaccessible and was not designed to accommodate the way education has evolved, including larger class sizes and the needs of students with disabilities.
The building’s report card identified several areas in need of improvement, including worn ceilings throughout much of the building, a lack of secure entrances, doors in extremely poor condition, leaks caused by the roof’s design, cracked retaining walls, generally poor accessibility and deteriorating flooring.
Other issues highlighted have been its heating and cooling systems, which are so old that parts are no longer manufactured for it; cramped classrooms and not enough space for chemical storage, which impacts its science classes.
The new building will give the two schools a more separate identity with the school’s two floors. It features bigger gyms and classrooms and still plans to have a strong focus on its natural space.
Savion Castro, school board member and North Side resident, attended the tours and gave his impressions of the new buildings. He’s excited for the new possibilities for the students and the community to utilize spaces.
“Not only will students be able to use them during the school day, but they’ll be open to the neighborhood during the weekends and facilitate art shows and basketball and all different sports and stuff,” Castro said. “We know learning takes place outside the classroom, too, and helps build bonds, so seeing the investment in the gyms is one of my favorite parts.”
The school’s principals shared that sentiment. They’re excited to see a school that is finally fully accessible for its students.
“I really thank our neighbors and our local taxpayers for giving us this opportunity. It’s been really great, and it’s really going to make a difference teaching and learning,” O’Shaughnessy said. “We’re really excited to tap into what the individual classrooms are going to look like.”
Sherman’s Assistant Principal Miranda Salguero Mendoza attended the tour in place of Principal Thompson. She’s excited to see it finally come together as she and staff dream of what the new school will look like when it’s complete.
“Now is the exciting part. You have staff walking through and seeing what they’re going to transition to and envisioning themselves in the new space,” Mendoza said. “I think it’s a reminder of how much faith our community has in us, and it’s a driver to continue what we do and do it well.”
O’Shaughnessy gave updates on questions the community had during a meeting in October 2025. The community was worried about the lack of sprawling lawn that kids would play in due to the construction — which will be relocated to where the old school is when it is torn down — and trees that line the area.
Shabazz and Sherman have been generously sharing what space they can to help accommodate temporary reduced space, Mendoza said.
For the trees, the schools were able to relocate some and take the chance to remove some more dangerous ones on the property. Sherman and Shabazz are involved with Mendota Elementary in preserving trees and received a grant for urban forestry to plant more trees next year.
Sherman and Shabazz’s new building is slated to be complete in fall 2027. Updates and more information can be found on MMSD’s website for its 2024 Facilities Referendum.
