Bigfork schools move into new building

There are only smiles at Bigfork Elementary School this week as students and teachers spend time between lessons marveling at their new classrooms.

“It’s awesome,” said middle school principal Wayne Loeffler on Saturday as he helped students, parents and teachers move items into the new rooms.

By Monday morning, Sharon Lamar’s first grade class was bouncing around her new classroom, peeking in every new cabinet and cubbyhole. And if the students were mostly reduced to shrieks and exclamations of “cool!” their parents were simply appreciative of the work as one after another popped in to congratulate Lamar.

“Did you ever leave here this weekend?” one asked.

Lamar said moving all classroom supplies and redecorating was “like being a new teacher again,” but that the updated classroom made it easily worthwhile.

The renovation and construction project, funded by a $5.5 million bond passed by voters in the fall of 2007, wrapped up two months ahead of schedule allowing the school to use the new space for almost the entire second semester.

Middle school students were tasked with helping many teachers move desks and small items to the new rooms on Friday and larger items and the art room supplies were moved on Saturday morning.

School superintendent Russ Kinzer said that the accelerated construction schedule saved the school about $150,000, which was reinvested in the building to either shore up old issues or for add-ons that had originally been cut from the project to ensure it stayed within budget. Kinzer said one such item is the reinforcement of the trusses in the gymnasium, which are not up to current code.

Now, with staff moved into the new administrative offices, construction will start on the old office space to renovate it for use as special education and testing areas, Kinzer said.

Other mop-up jobs include creating an additional exit near the library, a task that will be completed while students and teachers are away on Spring Break during the first week of April.

New signs for the elementary and high schools will also be decided on and installed as part of the budget for site improvements, Kinzer said.

“We’re pleased with the work of construction manager Hammerquist and Casalegno,” he said. “It’s been a real team effort.”

The school will hold an open house for the community at a to-be-determined date this spring.