We just went through the process of renovating the weight room at my HS a few years ago. It was initially part of the referendum but not everything. After we found out how much money was needed our Athletic Director went to all the head coaches and asked if their booster clubs could donate some money. That gave them a starting point and from there they continued to ask for donations from different companies and along the way the school found some money here and there to help develop a great fitness center. The good thing is that each year we add 1 or 2 things to it to make it better.

It sounds as though many high school weight rooms are in the same boat! Our entire school has been renovated, including new gymnasiums BUT, still no new weight room or even weight room equipment! We have begun the research process to renovate and upgrade through a fundraising effort by a parent-guided organization. I have heard of schools obtaining used equipment from local Military bases; Often their equipment has been impeccably kept and maintained! Additionally, many fitness experts recommend LEASING the weight room cardio equipment so it can be updated when new machines are available. This way your budget does not change, and you are able to provide students with cutting-edge fitness technology!

I'm at a Jr High and we converted out oversized storage for PE equipment into a weight room and use two smaller closets inside the locker rooms for our storage. We were able to get 6 machines from a local gym when they upgraded. We also had a sale where we asked people to bring in things they wanted to get rid of (posted on our school website for spring clean up). We held a sale in our cafeteria with all the donations and made over a thousand dollars that we used to buy dumbbells. Our school nurse won a grant as well for a fitness program she started and purchased three treadmills for us. Each year, we try to replace/add out of our budget.