TONAWANDA, N.Y. — The Tonawanda City School District has a new elementary school for 750 students.
"This vision for one elementary school began in 2005. It was the closest to moving forward in 2016 but it still fell short. It has come away from the first thought to where we are now," said Kristin Schmutzler, president of the Tonawanda City School Board of Education.
The district consolidated three schools to build what is now Tonawanda Elementary School.
Campus Construction, a local company, began building the $53.4-million school two years ago.
"It's amazing. It's beautiful. I'm very excited to be able to teach here and I think the students are really going to enjoy it," said third-grade teacher Lisa Dodge.
Dodge couldn't be more impressed.
"I love the idea of the security system, the cameras, the PA system we have, and the fact that we have the security doors, the doors are all going to lock. It feels very safe in here," Dodge said.
Those doors automatically close and lock themselves, after one of these one-touch lockdown buttons is pressed.
"Anyone in the building at any time should they see something or hear something of high concern, can initially put the building into a protective situation," said Superintendent Tim Oldenburg.
Oldenburg says there are fewer doors to enter the building and the main office is at the front entrance.
Plus, there's a secure entrance for any visitor.
Other features of the new school include STEAM or STEM labs, a library with a fireplace, and a rock climbing wall.
Students will see it all in person for the first time tomorrow when they drop off their school supplies before the first day of school next Wednesday.
"Work that was done here is such an incredible improvement and arguably one of the most impressive school capital projects in our region, perhaps in the state, in decades," Oldenburg said.