Teachers moving into Glacier Gateway School later this month
The new Gateway School, at upper left and the old school in a photo this week. (JP Edge photo)
By CHRIS PETERSON
Hungry Horse News
When classes start next year, Glacier Gateway students will be in a shiny new school.
“It’s going to happen,” superintendent Dave Wick said.
Students won’t have school Dec. 19 and 20 so teachers and staff can move into the new building.
Materials will be sent home with students so they can work on them at home as they’ll have classes remotely.
Glacier Gateway School has postponed its holiday programs, instead having them in January in the new school.
Tours for student families are planned for Tuesday, Jan. 3, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Community tours will be at a later date.
The new school was delayed a few months due to supply chain issues. It was set to be completed before school started in the fall.
Contractor Swank Construction and its subcontractors have been working six days a week to get the school finished by the holiday break.
The 88,000 square foot school has a total budget of about $21.97 million.
The school has a host of amenities that all cater to kids.
For example, the kindergarten bathroom toilets nearly sit on the floor, so children don’t have to struggle to get up on an adult-sized seat.
In addition, the younger grades have bathrooms immediately adjacent to the class.
The lockers are also built for young people. Instead of being high off the ground, they’re at ground level, so kids can easily reach the handles.
Pre-K classes have “break out spaces” between classrooms, so kids can go into a smaller environment and get work done without actually leaving the class or having to walk down a hall or study in the hall itself.
The showcase feature of the new building is the new “cafetorium,” which features a built-in stage and stairs, so students can perform concerts and musicals on a raised platform.
Above the cafetorium is the library, with windows that offer expansive views of Teakettle Mountain. Students can sit in the window and look out across the valley.
The ceiling features natural wood features and cross-laminated timbers