Ayers Construction broke ground in the last few weeks on two new buildings for Sussex, school business manager Robin Etingen-Ayers said.
"We're really excited about it. It's been a long time coming."
"We're really creative with space," Etingen-Ayers said, "but we're pretty squished."
Etingen-Ayers said right now several classes take place in the school's library, and often get displaced to accommodate other uses.
One classroom, she said, is used for art, science and music. It is affectionately referred to as "the college of arts and sciences."
"We do a lot of shuffling around - we were kind of tripping over ourselves," she said.
The project was started in the last year by a private donor who approached the school and asked how to help. The school administration decided that classroom space was what was really needed, Etingen-Ayers said.
The school administration and parents worked with Paradigm v2.0 Architects over the summer to create the design. The new buildings will have lots of windows, and will even have some curves to them, Etingen-Ayers said.
"It's a pretty innovative design, especially for a school," she said. One goal of the design is to bring the "outdoors indoors" and vice versa, she said.
Playground facilities will be improved at the school and a courtyard will be added. The construction will also expand the parking lot, to include a better drop-off area, she said. The construction will improve the campus and relocate offices to free classroom space.
The entire project will likely cost about $475,000, Etingen-Ayers said.
So far, the additional funding for the project has been provided by families of current students and alumni, Etingen-Ayers said. The school is still working on its capital campaign to raise the necessary funds to complete the construction.
Sussex School is an independent, private K-8 elementary school. It was established in 1971. The original school building, constructed in 1900, now houses the school offices.
Etingen-Ayers said the design of the new buildings is modern, but will blend in and be "respectful to the old architecture."
The three older buildings on the two-acre campus at 1800 S. Second St. W. won't be touched.
The two new buildings, as well as the improved parking lot and playground, should be completed and ready to go by the first day of school next fall, Etingen-Ayers said.
"The kids are excited and getting a good glimpse at how a building is built," she said.
For them, even the construction will be an education.
To donate to the capital campaign for the project, call 549-8327.
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