Members of the media piled on a big yellow school bus, joining Springfield Schools Superintendent Jennifer Gill and others Saturday for a tour of improvements made to District 186 facilities over the summer.
“A lot of carpet, brand new tile, flexible seating,” said Gill, in summarizing the upgrades. “And with this came all new furniture as well and all the new spaces for learning. We’ve actually been incorporating new furniture throughout the district in all our buildings slowly but surely.”
Gone now are mobile teaching units. From here on out, classes will meet inside main buildings and in actual classrooms.
The morning-long media tour started at Franklin Middle School and visited Black Hawk Elementary, Southeast High, and Fairview Elementary.
Standing in Southeast High’s new auditorium, School Board President Tony Mares said photos don’t do the new space justice.
“This is incredible! I’m just blown away,” Mares said. “Superintendent gives us pictures, but I’m telling you what . . . seeing it, feeling it, touching it. And that new auditorium smell. I mean, it’s just incredible. I’m excited for the students when they come on Monday.”