It is difficult to make something 50 years old look new again, especially if that thing is a school building that is visited by hundreds of students every day.
That is what a two-year, $6.1 million renovation project has done for Clarion Elementary School, which has been around since 1968.
The renovations start at the front door to the school. At the main entrance a manned buzz-in security system has been installed.
“No one is in the building unless absolutely necessary,” said Mike Fagley, the building and grounds supervisor for Clarion Area School District.
The security measures have been extended to the classroom.
“Every teacher will have a key that will allow them to lock any classroom in the building from the inside with their key,” said Fagley.
In the event of an emergency, the teachers will lock the door and deny entry by a possible intruder into the classroom.
In the primary wing all new plumbing replaced the old systems, which were having some problems. The teachers also have the ability to control the level of the lighting in the classrooms.
“The lights don’t have to be at 100 percent. They can be at 50 percent or 25 percent depending on what the teacher wants,” said Fagley.
Fagley said new ceiling mounted projectors are going to be installed to complement the new white boards that have already been installed.
The school library has a brighter look after being repainted. A serious structural flaw has also been repaired.
“The library had a large crack and chip in the south wall that had been there for a few years. I was concerned because it was a structure problem,” said Fagley. “I worked it out with the contractors to re-build the corner. We tore the whole corner down and restructured it. So now we won’t have to worry about the structure again.”
A major improvement is the addition of an elevator.
“Before we had a wheelchair lift that no one was happy with,” said Fagley. “We now have the ability for an elderly person or someone who is disabled to go up or down more comfortably.
“We also improved handicapped accessibility. We installed handicapped ramps throughout the building,” said Fagley.
A handicapped shower was installed in the locker room for use during and after school. Clarion Elementary School hosts evening activities and the Special Olympics.
The sound of music no longer fills the halls of the school.
“We put sound proof material in the large group instruction room where the band and the choir practice. That way the classrooms above it won’t have to listen to them practicing,” said Fagley.
The new look is evident as soon as a visitor enters the school. The building was re-painted, and new LED ceiling lights were installed throughout the building.
New floor tile was installed after a problem with a drain damaged the existing tile.
“The original floor tile was unavailable so we decided to go with a pattern,” said Fagley. “The pattern makes it an entrance point to the office.”
The entire kitchen and cafeteria were also refurbished.
“We did a complete renovation of the elementary kitchen,” said Becky Kammerdeiner, the district’s food service director. “We moved the dish room into the main prep area to save on labor costs. The new kitchen offers more safety and security. ”
New equipment was also installed.
“We have new walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers,” said Kammerdeiner “We used as much of the existing kitchen equipment as possible. The new kitchen is more efficient, brighter and cleaner. We used ceramic tile is improve safety.
“Every day we serve 160 breakfasts and 270 lunches at the elementary school,” said Kammerdeiner. “We also serve one pre-K program and Head Start. That accounts for about 40 breakfasts and 78 lunches. My ladies are doing a fantastic job.”
After two years, the project is almost finished.
“We are down to a punch list in this building. We are getting down to the final things,” said Fagley.