The sounds of construction will soon give way to the sounds children learning at two Council Bluffs elementary school buildings.
Edison and Roosevelt Schools are scheduled to be open by December after being totally renovated.
Once construction at Edison Elementary is complete, one of the firsts things you will notice when you walk in the front door is improved security.
Council Bluffs Superintendent Dr. Martha Bruckner says, “Kids will come in the front door. And they'll have to go through the office in order to get access to the hallway.”
Bruckner says that the four point nine million dollar upgrades will offer much more than just improved aesthetics.
“We're really trying to make changes that support us instructionally, not just for how the place looks,” says Bruckner.
Fourth and fifth graders already use the totally renovated second floor at Edison, where tables have taken the place of desks, and vented cabinets will soon house laptops for each classroom.
“When we started these designs,” says Bruckner, “we made sure that schools had computer labs. By the time we got two years into it, we didn't want computer labs because that makes it too artificial. So now all the buildings are going to be wireless. And we're going to have computer access in every single classroom.”
Edison and Roosevelt schools are the final part of a multi-year, district-wide effort to upgrade school facilities in Council Bluffs.
The projects have been paid for through a statewide one cent sales tax that is designated for building construction and renovations.
