Jim O’Connor Construction is on schedule for the completion of the Litchfield Elementary School construction project by the first day of school in August, 2013. The roof and windows have been installed on the new classroom building, the tower is in place, original glulam beams from the old cafeteria were refurbished and reinstalled and I noticed that exterior painting is well underway.
There was a lot of controversy surrounding this project as many past students, teachers and current residents did not want to see the old buildings torn down. The gymnasium, built in 1928; the cafeteria, built in 1959; the administration building and classrooms were all torn down making way for new construction. Litchfield Elementary School is the district’s oldest school, dating to 1928 and while the school has a great reputation for academic excellence, the buildings and grounds were in need of updating, including a gym with air-conditioning and more space. I even heard the possibility of school officials meeting with a solar company and a geothermal company to try to work some type of alternative energy into this project.
Once construction is concluded, an Open House will be scheduled to invite the public to visit and view the new additions. With seven new classrooms, the district will be implementing a Traditional Academy at Litchfield Elementary School (LES) that includes grades K-6. The Traditional Academy is a rigorous program based on an advanced curriculum; the schoolwork is fast-paced and teaches math and literacy at one grade level above the normal grade-level expectations. Finalized construction of new classrooms will create space for about 100 more students at the school, which is expected to eventually grow the total capacity to 1,000 students.
Stay tuned for information on the Open House in the fall of 2013.