A simple renovation served as the starting point for the courtyard makeover at Jones. What started as a small effort to fix an uneven, rocky courtyard grew quickly into something much larger than anticipated. It is not only revamping the look but also changing the tone of the space within the school. Behind this transformation is the Friends of Jones (FOJ), a parent and guardian-led non-profit that helps fund and organize major school improvement efforts.

To understand FOJ’s role in the school, Ivonne Loza, a board member on the FOJ, clearly explains its purpose.

“FOJ supports Jones in many ways, including both staff and students. We help fund clubs by providing grants; we also take part in community building efforts, as well as fundraise and host events,” said Loza. Loza’s explanation sheds light on the broad range of support the FOJ provides. However, their impact goes beyond everyday donations to clubs and community efforts. This picture is reflected in how the organization selects and prioritizes major initiatives each year.

“Every year, Friends of Jones identifies a project they want to work on with their fundraising, something they think will both impact students to a large degree and also generate parent interest in supporting it” said Principal Kerry Dolan.

When evaluating possible projects, the board noticed that the courtyard was not only worn down, but also created daily challenges for students.

“The courtyard was looking really rough for a while, so that was an area we identified that could benefit from some beautification,” said Dolan. “It was also about usability for students and helping to eradicate our rodent problem, because rats were burrowing in the rocks out there.”

Those concerns connect back to the original design of the space, which had already undergone multiple changes over time.

“When the courtyard was originally done, they had real grass, dirt, and flowers. But what happened is, because we live in the city and there are rodents, they would burrow, and then they had a big issue with rats in the courtyard. So they switched over all the grass to those little pebbles because of the rats,” said Loza.

However, what was meant to solve one issue ended up creating new challenges for how the space was used day-to-day.

“Throughout the year, we have a lot of events in the courtyard. Before the renovations, there were little rocks everywhere. When hosting events, we would spend the first hour dealing with all the scattered pebbles,” said Loza.

To improve the courtyard’s condition and raise funds at the same time, FOJ created a solution that directly involves the community in the rebuilding process.

“It really started with engraving bricks and the need to replace those little rocks. By having parents, guardians, or members of the community buy engraved bricks, we raised money,” said Loza. “At the same time, we removed all the little rocks and replaced them with engraved bricks. We took this idea of engraved bricks from Northside College Prep.”