Next to a large backhoe, a group of elementary students in white hard hats shovel the first scoopfuls of dirt outside Crescent Elementary School.
They’re marking the start of an expansion project.
The school is adding four classrooms and a new gymnasium and renovating its offices.
The whole project should be finished in just under four months – in time for the start of next school year.
School Superintendent Eric Burke says the addition has been needed for some time.
“It’s my first year as superintendent,” he said. “One of the first things I looked at was a facilities study going back to 2014. At that time, they were calling for a larger school here because of class sizes and enrollment. Enrollment has stayed pretty steady here through those years and we’re projecting even more in the future, so it was time.”
The $4.5 million project is funded through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
That federal fund was established by the CARES Act to help schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were approved for it for class sizes, so we can spread out a little bit more,” Burke said.
Because of that aid, very little to none of the project’s cost will be footed by the school.
Burke said he’s hopeful the addition will allow the school to continue growing.
