Lincoln School Quickly Taking Shape
WARSAW — The new Lincoln Elementary School building is taking shape and is expected to be in use some time after winter break.
Exterior walls are up, the roof is in progress and framework outlines where classrooms and other areas will go. Project Supervisor Jim LeMasters explained what each room will be and the various features.
The classroom section of the building is two stories high, with kindergarten through third grade on the first floor and second through fifth grades upstairs. First- through fifth-grade classrooms will share collaborative learning areas, which teachers will be able to open between adjoining rooms and rooms across the hallway.
The kindergarten rooms will not include collaborative space; instead, extra restrooms have been installed, with two classrooms each sharing a set of restrooms. This, LeMasters said, was at the request of the teachers.
Looking out the windows of building in progress, one can easily see the old building. LeMasters noted the new school will be several steps up from the existing one. Teachers, he said, have already been talking excitedly about which classrooms they want.
“Everything is an upgrade from what we have now and everybody is looking forward to moving in,” he said. “They don’t have much now. Not that they don’t use it and use it effectively, but they don’t have much.”
The new building will also feature a STEM lab, plus a large gymnasium with a stage area. The main entrance and office space will be designed with up-to-date safety features.
Once everything is moved into the new building, demolition will begin on the old one and the space will be turned into a parking area.