The well-publicized new $144.5 million Grand Junction High School opened with all-new furniture that has drawn some mixed feelings.
The building has certain chairs that are the most common in classrooms: Gray bouncing chairs that are challenging to move once a person sits down; and rolling chairs that spin around with a small desk attached and storage on the sides.
“The looks of the furniture are fine, but the chairs are hard to move. There is not a single piece of furniture that is easy to move, which makes it hard to pull seats out and in,” said GJHS sophomore Damian Frame-Patton.
Last year, students got a chance to see and test furniture in the library. Some of the chairs tested made it into the new school.
“A group of staff members attended a conference during the design phase of the school (two years ago) to look at and try different furniture. They also took ideas from other school campuses that have been building new schools,” GJHS assistant principal Josh Warinner said.
Most of the tested furniture was added to the new school, according to Warinner. In particular, the library’s chairs were very popular and among the first to be added in the school. They are very spherical with tall back ends. The chairs also have cushioning in them.
The most common gray chairs as well as the orange wobbly chairs are manufactured by VS furniture, and the cost of the furniture was considered part of the cost of the school’s construction. According to its website, VS is a “full-service manufacturer” of school and office furniture based in North Carolina.
