Teachers, administrators and staff members from Chilton Public Schools participated in "demo day" to kick off a renovation project at the elementary school, May 17, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Leonard & Finco Public Relations)
CHILTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Teachers from Chilton Public Schools traded their whiteboard markers for sledge hammers for a “demolition ceremony” Friday.
Now that the district’s 2023-24 academic year has come to an end, it was time to kick off the renovation and expansion of Chilton Elementary School. These projects are the final part of Chilton’s $19.3 million referendum passed in April 2022.
In a news release, Superintendent Susan Kaphingst said allowing teachers, administrators and staff members to participate in “demo day” was a fun way to celebrate the upcoming improvements to the school.
Since we already held a groundbreaking ceremony for our referendum projects in 2023, we thought we would put a new twist on celebrating the end of the school year and the start of the renovations and expansion happening this summer. Everyone in the District is excited to see the changes coming to the elementary school as the other referendum projects have already made a positive impact on staff and students.
Since the passage of the referendum, the district has seen the completion of a new athletic complex, site circulation and traffic flow improvements, district-wide site and building enhancements and a new elementary addition for the 5K program.
Officials say the elementary school renovation will completely reimagine the building wing from the existing cafeteria to the new addition, where first through fourth grade classrooms will be recreated. Other pieces include a special education program area, as well as art, music, and support spaces. A large central skylight will also bring daylight to the interior spaces.
The district says all the projects will be completed before the 2024-2025 school year begins.
“We took a break in the projects so we wouldn’t disrupt staff and students during this school year and teachers will have plenty of time to get back into their classrooms before school starts in the fall,” said Todd Bushmaker, the project architect.
He added, “The demo event was a fun idea for a ceremony, and I’m glad the teachers could help us kick off this next phase of construction.”
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