HUMBOLDT — When she became superintendent of schools at Humboldt USD 258 in 2021, Amber Wheeler didn’t realize her daily ensemble would include a hard hat.
“It’s really come in handy,” she joked.
By September, Wheeler’s hard hat days will be in the rear view mirror, as crews put the final bow on a $17.5 million construction and renovation project approved by district voters in 2022.
“That will make this superintendent’s heart very happy,” Wheeler said. “We’re really excited.”
At Humboldt Elementary School, work focused on a new cafeteria and playground area, both of which were completed during the 2024-25 school year.
The new cafeteria alleviates one of the major scheduling headaches within the elementary school -— physical education classes.
In the past, students dined in the gym.
“The new cafeteria is smaller than the gym, so the kids can talk and have a good time and it doesn’t feel like it’s overwhelmingly loud,” Wheeler said. “It has nice big windows, so our kids are getting lots of outside light.”
A new kindergarten classroom created much-needed space to expand the school’s preschool program as well.
“We used every space we had,” Wheeler said. “We were able to maneuver some things around without drastically affecting others.”
THE IMPROVEMENTS at the high school include a secure entrance, expanded classroom and commons area, and a new elevator, increasing accessibility to all three floors.
“Our front door in our high school area is going to be a great place for people to come in and gather.”
And while the old elevator was always safe, “it might not take you to the floor you wanted,” Wheeler joked.
A new corridor connects the high school to the tech building.
“Having that connection is important,” Wheeler said. “It helps with safety and crowd control. It keeps our kids inside, so they’re not getting rained or snowed on and freezing during the winter.”
“Our district is moving with purpose,” Wheeler said. “The Promise Scholarship may bring in some extra kids, and now we have the space to be able to handle that.
“When you’re progressive, things happen,” she continued. “That’s what happens when you get good things going — they start to snowball.”
