On Monday morning, former president, Andrew Wolfe, along with current student government members Mia Barth and Caroline Svederus provided a tour of the facility and talked about its upgrades with members of the Keystone Central School District Board of Directors and other officials.

According to Wolfe, who is going into ninth grade this year, the project was sparked by Food Services Supervisor Sharon Berger.

Wolfe said she requested the student government form a committee to upgrade the furniture and other amenities within the cafeteria.

Cafeteria Manager Jess Warr, who stood in for Berger on Monday morning, said the furniture was about 20 years old and in need of replacement.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Representatives of Central Mountain Middle School’s student government, members of the Keystone Central School Board and other officials are pictured in the newly designed cafeteria. They are, from left, board members Elisabeth Lynch and Roger Elling, former CMMS Student Government member Andrew Wolfe, board member Dr. Bill Baldino, student government member Mia Barth, CMMS Principal Laura Fragassi, student government member Caroline Svederus, CMMS Cafeteria Manager Jess Warr, board member Chris Scaff and Superintendent Dr. Francis Redmon.

According to Wolfe, Berger presented the committee with various designs and options for furniture to choose from. From there, and through five different meetings and presentations to the school board, the student government settled on the design students will see today.

Wolfe noted the artwork and designs on the walls were already in place, but the students included additional pieces on the columns in the cafeteria.

The main objective was finding new seating, which Wolfe, Barth and Svederus said was the main focus.

The students narrowed the selection down and presented the entire student body with two designs to choose from in the 2024-2025 school year.

“It wasn’t just the student government who made the choices. It represents them (the students),” Wolfe said.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Former Central Mountain Middle School Student Government President Andrew Wolfe shows one of two potential designs for the school’s cafeteria that the student government reviewed and presented to the student body for consideration prior to the redesign.

Warr noted Wolfe designed the survey and created a video presentation that was played for students, encouraging them to choose what design they liked the best.

The new cafeteria features a variety of seating options, which Svederus said was the biggest focus for student government.

This includes classic long tables with single seating — including two ADA accessible tables; booths and classic tables and chairs.

The chairs at the classic tables will feature hooks for backpacks to be hung on, though they weren’t shipped in time for the first day of school, Warr said.

Barth said the variety of seating can help cut down on how many chairs might be left at a single table, which proved to be an issue in the past.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Former and current Central Mountain Middle School Student Government representatives, from left, Mia Barth, Andrew Wolfe and Caroline Svederus give a tour of the newly redesigned cafeteria at CMMS, which was designed through work from council. Seen with the students are, from left, Keystone Central School Board President Roger Elling and members Dr. Bill Baldino and Elisabeth Lynch.

“The issue with the old tables were chairs would get moved around and there would be too many at one,” she said.

Superintendent Dr. Francis Redmon along with members of the school board commended the students on their work.

Warr also offered kudos to the children on behalf of Berger, who was unable to attend the tour.

“This is the students’ cafeteria. Sharon gave the kids the tools… the students ultimately are responsible for the results,” she said.

Wolfe thanked the district’s facilities committee and the school board for their support and approval of the project.