Students, Staff Get First Look at New School

(KNSI) – Sauk Rapids-Rice teachers and support staff are getting their first look at the rebuilt Pleasantview Elementary School.

District Superintendent Brad Bergstrom says “We are very excited to be bringing back both our staff this week and then bringing in students next week. It is going to be fun to watch the kids come walking in and see the smiles on their faces just like I saw the smiles on the adults when they walked in when we opened up the building for them this week. It was great.”

Bergstrom says the new building allows more natural light inside, has state-of-the-art technology and is laid out to help kids learn in the 21st century, versus the old school, which had more of an open feel, which was noisy and distracting. Bergstrom says now, “we’re in a more of a traditional setting and kids will be in a classroom that will allow them to focus on the work that’s going on there and not be distracted by things that are going on outside of the classrooms.”

Bergstrom says they were lucky to build when they did as bids came in so favorable, “Instead of having the building being at capacity looking to add on, we were able to build the building a little bit larger. So, we’ve got room for that anticipated growth that hopefully will be coming our way.”

The new building is 120,000 square feet. That is 35,000 square feet larger than the old school.

Parents and kids can see the school and find their classroom during an open house for students on Wednesday evening. A public open house will be held on Saturday, September 24th.

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