It's out with the old and in with the new for Lewis Elementary.
“For the students it's fantastic. It's going to have beautiful learning environment to come to next year,” said Lewis Elementary Principal Hannelore Burdette.
Thanks to Wichita's voter approval of a 2008 bond measure, the $10.5 million school is nearing completion, and it boasts lots of new features.
“We have beautiful music rooms with acoustics, an art room with wonderful natural lights, an outside learning center, and a beautiful media center that has a computer lab with it as well,” said Burdette.
It's a wish list come true, not just for Burdette but for students too. While Lewis has served them well for years, the building has it’s problems.
“We currently do not have a safe room. We're in restrooms and hallways that are not as safe as any administrator would like them to be,” said Burdette.
The new building has a dedicated safe room to house them from storms and the cherry on top is it’s abundant space.
“If we want to do a science activity that involves water, we can go to our community area and do that, or go outside. We don't have to try to cram 24 kids and a speaker into one classroom,” said Burdette.
It's a project one and half years in the making, and Burdette is thankful for the community's investment in the 450 students who will attend here next year.
“Our students are our future and we need to be able to provide for them.”
Crews will tear down the current Lewis Elementary building in early June. The new building is slated for completion June 29th.
The school wants to invite their newest students and family to the new building. They’re opening an open house on May 3 at 5:30.
