Big Horn County School District No. 2 has been accepted for the so-called “recipe phase” of the planning process for a new high school, and in order to get the process rolling, the district and state have hired a master chef to oversee the process.


Dr. Franklin Hill of Franklin Hill & Associates, LLC was in Lovell last week to begin the process of designing either a new high school facility or remodeling the current facility to best suit the educational needs of students in future decades and, in essence, wrapping the facility around those needs.


Dr. Hill, a longtime educator, facility planner and futurist from Kirkland, Wash., is working on a contract with District Two through the Wyoming School Facilities Commission. He has designed facilities in six foreign countries, more than 24 states and three Canadian provinces.


Hill is a former middle school and high school teacher who realized that buildings do not always serve the needs of students. So he cross-trained in building and design and became a vice president of an architectural firm in Orlando and worked as a facilities director for a 100,000-student school district in Jacksonville, Fla. He then branched out to form his own firm.


“In that role I’ve planned some of the most futuristic buildings in the country – technologically and curricularly,” Hill said during an interview. “Supt. (Dan) Coe wants to make sure schools here are the best for the community and students’ future…make sure the school is flexible and appropriately futuristic.


“I avoid wiz-bang stuff. I’m a very practical guy and very down to earth. The staff wants to spend money wisely and futuristically, and the superintendent and staff want to do what’s right for the students here. That’s my job.”


Hill said he has recently worked on two projects in Montana, including a new school in Red Lodge, and he is also working in Powell on a site study for a new middle school.

The question that must be answered relatively soon is whether District Two will build a new school or remodel the existing high school, Hill said, and part of his mission is to discover what can be done quickly and affordably while still creating a 21st century school.


Hill said that, looking at the SFC’s needs list, Lovell might not qualify for a new school for another 10 to 15 years, and he said the question that comes immediately to mind is, “can we afford to wait?”


“My challenge is, ‘can we make a 21st century school out of this facility?’” he added, noting that the high school has “a lot of good bones” in it from a structural, design and suitability standpoint.


“It’s very solid, and we could probably do this building for less than half the price,” Hill said.


During two trips to Lovell, Hill has looked at “whether things are in the right place to remodel well.” He has also talked to staff members to see if they are prepared for a conversion of that type.


“I want to compliment the staff because a school of the future depends on the quality of the staff,” he said. “Lovell High School is already doing a lot of 21st century things.”


Hill said the “very good” science program has quality teachers and facilities that could be easily remodeled into top of the line lab and teaching areas. He said Mike Greenlee, for instance, is on the cutting edge of 21st century science programming and teaching.


He also said the school already uses technology very well from distance learning opportunities to projection media. And he said Cindy Asay’s digital media program is top notch.


“You have an incredible digital media department,” he said, “the best I’ve seen. It’s incredible, and I’ve seen a thousand schools. You have a great art program…art and music. You have good people (in music) but not the auditorium to put them.


“We want to match the quality of the staff with a quality facility.”


The building blocks are in place to design a 21st century school, he said, noting that the school has strengths both in design and staff to meet all of the issues inherent in a remodeling project for a futuristic school, including: integrating curriculum, advance science, flexible technology, strong performing arts, a commons area, technology preparation and vocational trades.

If the district and state decide to remodel, the next step in the recipe phase would be to fine-tune the details. He said he has worked on several successful remodeling projects around the country, including several “elite schools.”


“A good remodeled school can be very, very successful,” he said.


Hill said he has been in every classroom at the elementary, middle and high school buildings and said Lovell has the core foundation of a good educational system. He said he has worked with several teachers to hear their goals for the future and also seen them in action teaching.


“I’ve watched a lot of teachers at all levels, and they’re exceptional,” he said. “The teachers are already willing and able to plan for the future, except for the facility.”


Hill said he would prepare a draft report within two weeks and has also worked with Plan One Architects, which has been working on the design of a possible new school building. He said he would present the draft report to the school board, answer any questions that trustees may have and then draft a final document.


The next step is then up to the district and the state, and he said he couldn’t tell if or when the SFC might give the go-ahead to proceed.


In the meantime, having the plan in place will allow the district to coordinate future maintenance project with a master plan.


“It’s better to plan any maintenance within the context of a master plan for learning,” he said.