Borah High School | Boise School District | Boise, Idaho

Locker rooms say a lot about athletic programs in a school. For Borah High School in Boise, Idaho, the message their locker room was sending was overdue for an update. The space was functional in only the most basic manner, but it was built around old and worn metal lockers and fixed benches that took up valuable floor space while leaving little room for a modern, branded environment that today’s student-athletes expect. The school knew it was time for a change, and they wanted more than just a simple locker swap. They wanted a locker room that reflected who they are.

The Challenge: More Than Just New Lockers

When Borah High School began evaluating options for their athletic locker room, they came in with a clear picture of what wasn’t working for them and what the new space needed to provide.

The existing setup had several problems. The old metal lockers offered poor ventilation, which was keeping gear from properly drying between uses, creating an opportunity for possible health risks for athletes. The fixed benches that ran through the room were taking up more floor space than they were worth. And perhaps most importantly, the locker room had no sense of identity. It looked like any other locker room, and nothing more.

What the school was looking for went beyond a standard replacement. They needed a solution that would:

• Replace outdated, worn metal lockers with a modern and durable alternative
• Improve airflow and ventilation for stored gear
• Eliminate space-consuming fixed benches while still providing necessary seating
• Incorporate Borah High School’s branding, logos, and colors
• Create a distinctive appearance that sets the space apart from a standard locker room
• Accommodate multiple sports and programs throughout the year

That combination of functionality and visual transformation pointed toward a locker partner with real customization capability instead of just a catalog of standard options.

How Borah High School Found GearGrid

Borah High School got in touch with GearGrid the way many schools do: by doing their homework. While researching locker options online, the school came across GearGrid and began evaluating what their company could offer compared to other solutions they were considering.

Two things stood out quickly. The first was breathability. GearGrid’s open grid design allows significantly more airflow than traditional solid metal lockers, giving stored gear the ability to dry faster between uses. For a locker room serving multiple sports throughout the year, this was a highly valuable asset.

The second was customization. Borah High School wanted a locker room that felt like it belonged to them, rather than just a bland place to store sports gear. They wanted something fresh, and GearGrid’s ability to incorporate custom graphics, logos, and finishes made that possible in a way competitors could not match.

The GearGrid Solution

GearGrid supplied 76 GridIron Team Lockers for the Borah High School athletic locker room, configured in a combination of wall mounted and freestanding island arrangements. Lockers were supplied in both 18-inch and 24-inch widths to make the most of the available space while accommodating the varying storage needs of athletes throughout the year.

One of the most practical improvements in the new setup was the integrated bench seat built into the locker system. By incorporating seating directly into the lockers, the school was able to eliminate the separate fixed benches that had previously taken up a massive amount of floor space. The new seating options allowed for a more open and functional layout without sacrificing a place for athletes to sit.

The design element that truly set the project apart was the use of ACM door, footlocker, and end panels throughout the locker system. These panels let the school apply its own logos and graphics directly to the lockers, creating a bold look while putting Borah’s identity front and center the moment you walk through the door. The result is a locker room that does not look like every other high school locker room in the area. It looks like Borah.

The Outcome

Borah High School completed the installation themselves, and the feedback following the project has been positive. The school has shared that they love the custom look achieved through the ACM door panels, and the finished space reflects exactly the kind of branded, modern athletic environment they set out to create.

The locker room now serves football, basketball, and a rotating schedule of seasonal sports throughout the year. Because of the flexibility of these lockers, every program that comes through the space has the storage, ventilation, and accommodations necessary for them.

For Borah High School, the goal was never just new lockers. It was having a locker room worth being proud of, and that is exactly what they got.