The West Allegheny School District plans to say goodbye to a trend of the past: open classrooms. “It's to improve the learning environment of the kids,� said Ken Fibbi, the district's director of buildings and grounds. Popular in the 1970s, open classrooms typically are rooms that are clustered together in pods and are missing doors and some walls. The goal was to develop a more collaborative educational environment, but many educators discovered that they just led to more distractions in the form of noise from neighboring classes and people walking by, local officials said. Their popularity has further declined as school districts try to shore up security. The concept will be eliminated in two of West Allegheny's elementary schools, Wilson and McKee, as part of $28.5 million in renovations. A bond is paying for the work. The work includes relocating the district's administrative offices from Donaldson Elementary School in North Fayette to a 5,700-square-foot addition at Wilson, which is in Findlay, by September. The move will open up seven classrooms in Donaldson, where enrollment has grown. Built in 1972, McKee and Wilson are in need of major repairs, so they will be completely renovated except for their swimming pools and gyms, said Mark Duane, a senior associate at The Hayes Design Group — Architects in Bridgeville. Work in Wilson should be completed by September 2015, Fibbi said. The renovations to McKee, which is in North Fayette, should be completed by August 2016, but the design process is ongoing, Duane said. McKee and Wilson need new roofs; replacement of their electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; and upgrades to make the buildings compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the district said. They lack natural lighting in interior classrooms, a problem the renovations will address, Fibbi said. An interior corridor with skylights will be added to each school. Sunlight from the corridor will be shared with the interior classrooms through high windows on their walls, Duane said. Studies have shown that natural light and fresh air improve student retention and test scores, said Kevin Hayes, president of the Hayes firm. Other building changes will include adding a mini food court and a dedicated cafeteria space in Wilson, where part of the gym now is being used as a cafeteria, Duane said. Wilson and McKee will have some group space in the form of a common area, called a Collaboratory, in the center of each building where several classes can work together on projects and lessons, Fibbi said. Tory N. Parrish is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-380-5662 or tparrish@tribweb.com. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.