Top Projects of 2025: Jerstad – Agerholm School Addition and Renovation

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Jerstad-Agerholm K–8 School in the Racine Unified School District represents the culmination of eight years of planning and two years of phased construction, resulting in a transformational $52 million project encompassing a 30,000-square-foot addition and 157,000 square feet of renovations to a building originally constructed in 1952.

The project reconfigured the school to serve 1,590 students from 4K through eighth grade, achieving full ADA compliance while modernizing classrooms and upgrading infrastructure throughout. The new addition introduced a full-size gymnasium, a large multi-purpose commons with a warming kitchen, and specialized spaces for art, music and band. Renovated areas include an elementary library, Maker Space, dedicated intervention and special education rooms, and middle school labs for foods, construction, fabrication, and digital arts. State-of-the-art safety features include a multi-step secure entrance, laminated glass, concrete block walls and building compartmentalization with secure automatic doors.

The project’s impact is documented through post-occupancy reporting to the state. Compared to the year preceding construction, student absenteeism decreased by more than 21% and the overall school performance score increased by nearly 9%, with measurable gains in English Language Arts, mathematics and student growth metrics. The project was funded through an April 2020 community referendum.

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