Mike James/The Independent
Raceland — School officials leaned on ceremonial shovels at Campbell Elementary on Monday to mark the start of a renovation project that will refurbish the interior and add several new classrooms to the school.
“It’s been a long time coming and it’s going to be a big thing in this community for a long time to come,” said Superintendent Frank Melvin.
The project will add four classrooms and a fifth room with dividers that can be used for multiple purposes. It also will modernize the existing structure with new roof, windows, lights, heating, air conditioning and a sprinkler system. “It’s going to be basically a new school,” Melvin said.
The additional classrooms will allow Campbell to admit around 50 more out-of-district students, Principal Jill Imes said. Currently she has to turn away some families who want to send their children to Campbell.
Work has already started both inside and outside the school. Workers have removed drop ceiling panels and are preparing to install wiring, sprinkler lines and ductwork, Imes said. They are working after school hours to avoid disrupting classes.
The $2.5 million project is expected to completed by the time school starts again in August, Melvin said. He is waiting on word from the state on whether the district will receive approximately $1 million for a second renovation phase, which would add a kitchen and cafeteria.
If the funding is approved, work can continue this fall to complete that phase, Melvin said.
Campbell currently uses a multipurpose room for a cafeteria and sends students to the gym at the old high school for physical education classes, Imes said. A dedicated cafeteria would allow her to use the multipurpose room for a gym, she said.
