a $42.2 million renovation and expansion. The construction added 14 new classrooms, in addition to a number of other improvements, and supplied a new facade for much of the building. Campus layout The West Campus is laid out in five parallel hallways, with an open space between each and a central "commons area." Each hallway is lettered from south to north. Classes in the industrial arts are held in a detached building behind the West Campus. A large greenhouse and a new fitness center are also detached from the main building. The West Campus houses two gymnasiums; one is used as a general purpose facility and the other is primarily for basketball and volleyball games. The East Campus is composed of two three-story limestone buildings, connected with a glass walkway and an annex in the rear (not visible in the above photo), built in 1928. The campus also has a detached gymnasium built behind the main stone buildings. Academics Manhattan High School has been listed on several recent compilations of the best high schools in the nation. MHS was listed on the Washington Posts list of "Most Challenging High Schools" for the past nine years. Only ten high schools in Kansas made the list in 2017. MHS was also listed by Newsweek in 2009 and 2010 as one of the top high schools in the U.S. Only six schools in Kansas made the list in 2009, and five in 2010. Finally, the school district was awarded a Blue Ribbon in the 2007 Education Quotient Study, ranking it in the top third nationwide. There are a wide range of learning opportunities offered at MHS, from tutoring for learning-impaired students to dual credit classes at Kansas State University, and a wide range of elective classes. Currently the school offers electives from performing arts to language arts to physical arts. Manhattan High is also the hub of a statewide virtual education academy called the iQ Academy Kansas. The online classes give students the opportunity to study and learn at their own personal pace. 240 students were enrolled in the program as of 2007. In the 2015–2016 school year there were four National Merit Finalists from Manhattan High. Extracurricular activities Athletics Manhattan High has teams competing in baseball, basketball (boys and girls), bowling (boys and girls), cross country (boys and girls), football, golf (boys and girls), soccer (boys and girls), softball, swimming & diving