Elgin's small school
district is growing rapidly. So, to accommodate the students, two new buildings
are in the works.
The 2011 Capital
Improvement Plan allotted over $14M to the project. New 6th and 3rd grade
centers are going up on the district's campus, with each building around 35,000
square feet.
When
Superintendent Tom Crimmins looks out at the construction site, he doesn't see
metal frames and heavy machinery. He sees progress and growth.
"Over the
last 25 years, we've averaged approximately 60 kids per year growth,"
Crimmins said.
67% of the
community voted "Yes" back in 2011, allowing the City to pay for the two new
buildings. They will house both middle and elementary school students.
"Our great
need was classroom space as well a place to feed those kids," Crimmins said. "With
the growing numbers that we have, our existing cafeterias were just being
overloaded."
There will also
be a new library media center and band and vocal room that will double as a
safe room.
"It's
completely concrete all the way around, top and walls," Crimmins said. "So, we
have a safe place for the kids to go in case of storm."
The 3rd grade
building will come equipped with classrooms and a new gymnasium that doubles as
another safe room. Crimmins said he is continuously blown away by the support in
the Elgin
community, whether it's cheering on the fighting owls or voting "Yes" for
progress.
"Our
people in Elgin
understand the need," Crimmins said. "It was all about need. I'm very proud.
I'm proud of our community and our patrons for supporting our schools. That's
why we've got a great school, because we've got such a supportive
community."
The 6th grade
center is set to open its doors at the start of this next school year. The 3rd
grade center is set to open no later than January of 2014.
KSWO-TV