INDIANAPOLIS — Herron High School is set to undergo its biggest transformation since opening two decades ago after receiving a $25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment.
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Herron H.S. to build performing arts center, science labs with Lilly grant
The Indianapolis school plans to use the funding to build six new science labs and a new performing arts facility at its main campus on 16th and Pennsylvania Streets. The project is expected to take two to three years to complete.
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Herron High School, the flagship campus of Herron Classical Schools, has made do with converted classrooms. Science teachers have turned standard rooms into makeshift labs, and students have rehearsed and performed on what amounts to an enlarged classroom with a stage.
Katie Dorsey, senior vice president of academic affairs at Herron Classical Schools, said the grant will change that.
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“We have been making do with what we can make do with for 20 years,” Katie Dorsey, senior vice president of academic affairs at Herron Classical Schools, said. “When we assessed and analyzed what our biggest areas of needs were, it really came down to the science lab needs for our students, and then it came down to performances too.”
The new auditorium is designed to host performances, lectures, family events, and out-of-school programs, and school leaders say it will be open to the broader community as well.
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“We’re also excited about being able to offer that space to our neighborhood,” McNeal said.
The investment will impact all three campuses in the Herron Classical Schools network, serving approximately 1,800 students.
For senior Chloe Overfelt, who has spent four years immersed in the school’s music programs, the news is personal.
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“So much. One thing I have loved doing all four years is music. I’m in jazz band, orchestra, choir, theater,” Overfelt said. “It’s really been amazing, honestly. I think this was the right choice for me. I did go out of my comfort zone a little bit because you’re going to a school where you don’t know anyone previously, but I’ve had an amazing time making new friends and meeting new people.”
Fellow senior Ian Midence said the school’s spirit has always outpaced its facilities.
“Everybody here is so great, the teachers, students, the life that the school has, even though they don’t have the proper equipment, has been incredible. Everybody tries their hardest,” Midence said. “I feel excited and a little jealous for the next generation, and I really hope that they can have the best use of it,” Midence said.
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McNeal said the grant represents more than new buildings.
“It will make us have the opportunity for our students to really go after their dreams,” McNeal said.