Check out the new North Eugene High, details about upcoming open house

After three years of construction, the new North Eugene High School opened the school year Sept. 6 with students filing in through sliding doors at the front entrance that lead to a wide common area.

The 216,150-square-foot building looms over the original building, which last served students in spring. From just about anywhere in the building you can see out a window. Several floor-to-ceiling windows let in natural light.

Junior Braysun Puha said walking in at the beginning of the school year and seeing the staircase that overlooks the common area and cafeteria felt like a movie.

"I really like all the windows," said senior Corrin Nordling. "It feels very open."

The school will host a grand opening at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Community members will be free to explore, hear speeches and presentations from some student groups, and have light refreshments.

What you'll see at the new North Eugene High School

Some stand-out features of the two-story facility includes two gyms, state-of-the-art career technical education classrooms, various study nooks and team study rooms, an auditorium, and an open-air courtyard at the center.

The main gymnasium was built with upgraded seismic standards, able to withstand strong earthquakes. The 4J School District said it can be used as a shelter, if needed.

Many students mentioned the new air-conditioning and heating systems.

"We need the new school because the older ones was being really trashed," said sophomore Riley Whitwood. "This one just makes us feel like we are worth something. North Eugene hasn't had a good rep in a long time, and I think it makes us have that now."

Whitwood said he's been feeling a shift in the culture at North and he feels more connected with his peers and teachers.

He also said the new facilities for woodworking and metal working have been amazing.

"The teachers are just amazing, too, they understand us a lot, they understand where we come from," Whitwood said. "It's just great to have that kind of connection with the teachers that not a lot of other schools have."

Students said they will not be taking the new school for granted. They shared stories of cafeteria booths falling apart, chronically out-of-order bathrooms and rats roaming the halls of the old high school.

Senior Michelle Bierman compared the new school to a museum, adding staff are much more strict on no-eating-in-class policies and other efforts to keep the school looking brand-new. "It seems like we're supposed to be in uniform and walking in rows here."

More big changes for North

New principal Naín Muñoz returned to Oregon after spending two years outside Houston, Texas. He previously taught English in the Redmond School District and was an administrator at South Albany High School and Clackamas High School.

"What I've learned about the North family is that it goes deep and wide," Muñoz said. "I was kind of shocked actually, how much love and support this high school gets from folks that were here years ago."

"Even with our current staff, there's some folks that graduated from here.," he said. "As I've gotten to get to know them, there's just a lot of wonderful memories. They have huge heart for our school."

Muñoz spent a couple of weeks at the original North Eugene and said he was blown away by the new building. He said it was "a new adventure" for the community.

"When I pulled up my first day I was like... 'There's no way that that's for us,'" Munoz recalled. "This new building just really, I think it puts a spotlight on what's been going on at this high school for a long time. A lot of wonderful things."

Muñoz said he is putting an emphasis on building relationships with staff and students and fostering community within the school.

"From what I've gathered, I feel like our staff was ready for some change ... for a new direction," he said. "There's already a lot of good things happening on our campus. But I think there are some other things that we need to get better at."

Muñoz said attendance for the first month has been around 90%, compared to about 65%, which is normal for the start of the year. He believed the new building had a huge impact on that, which students agreed with.

"I actually want to be at school," said junior Gabby Sanchez. "It's just a lot more welcoming and exciting to be at."

History and construction

The original North building, which first opened in 1957, was well-remembered by community members.

Around the new school, hints of the original North can be seen. Glass cases in the hallways display past awards and recognitions. One display near the back of the school shows memorabilia from the 1960s.

Construction on the new high school began in fall 2020, following a $319.3 million bond passed in 2018 that approved the reconstruction of three aging school buildings: Edison Elementary, North Eugene High and Camas Ridge Elementary. Edison opened in 2022. Camas Ridge is set to open in fall 2024.

The old NEHS will be demolished, following a contentious decision made by the 4J school board in April.

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: New North Eugene High School opens for 2023-24 school year