Whether it’s through athletics or academics, Grandview High School is always looking to improve. This year, Grandview has begun its multi-year process of replacing desks and chairs in order to do exactly that. It started with new infrastructure in the library- new decor, tables, and shelves. The focus is now on the academic hallway.

“We started discussing [the new furniture for the academic hallway] last fall,” Dr. Roberts said.

Grandview faculty wanted to encompass multiple different factors when deciding which furniture to buy. This included quality, shape, comfort, durability, and affordability.

“We worked with two different companies to get quotes and styles.  They brought in sample chairs and desks,” Dr. Roberts said. “The chairs were chosen after people sat on the sample chairs and voted for the one that felt the best.” 

This process was held in the Main Office, where anyone could try out the chairs and cast their vote as a tally. The tallies were heavily considered when determining which piece to buy. However, other factors were also taken into account when deciding features of the furniture, such as color. 

“[The chairs] are all one color as opposed to the old chairs, which at one point matched the color of the hallway they were in,” Dr. Roberts said.

The general black color of the chairs allows for the chairs to be universally used throughout the school. 

“The aesthetics of the chairs are definitely a lot nicer than the previous set. I also really like how the new chairs don’t squeak anymore. In class, it was distracting to constantly have to hear chair noises every time someone leaned back or sat down,” Sophie Yoon (12) said. 

Many Grandview students agree with this, highlighting that the durability of the chair is a definite positive. 

“The chairs making no noise are nice. Their backs are also a lot more comfortable,” Cortney Gomez (12) said. “It makes sitting for so long in school a lot more manageable.” 

Gallery • 3 Photos

Choosing the tables was a process similar to selecting the chairs, but they bring about a more dramatic change to the overall classroom setting.

“The desks were chosen for their shape in order to easily group. There was a lot of feedback from teachers on the shape of the desks being conducive to [table] grouping.  They liked that.  Not all did, but most,” Dr. Roberts said. 

As new furniture has been slowly introduced, mainly to the upper west side of the school, many students find benefits in the new design.

“I like the new configuration of the desks better because they are better for group work. It is a lot easier to collaborate,” Aishwarya Kamineni (11) said. “They also just look a lot cleaner than the old set.” 

Anish Cheruku (12) agrees that the finish of the desks looks much better and overall leads to a better looking classroom.

Refurnishing is not something that just happens overnight though. Dr. Roberts stresses that replacing all the furniture will be a 3-4 year long process due to the allocation of school budget. 

“We use money that is left over at the end of the year to purchase larger items [like the furniture].  We prioritize student needs and curriculum/teacher needs first, and then we spend on things that need updating,” Dr. Roberts said. 

The school furniture is just the first of many new improvements in the coming years. Dr. Roberts is looking to redo the school’s 28 year old school floors as well, along with other small upgrades. 

“It feels good to know that Grandview is allocating its resources to making student life easier and more productive. It really shows that they care about us students,” Gomez said (12).