Diggin' the new school: Hanna elementary students show appreciation for new school at groundbreaking

With golden shovels in hand, Hanna Elementary School students broke ground at the sight for the new elementary school.

“This project has been going on for a while and all of you put hard work into making this new school happen,” Superintendent Bob Gates said at the sight before the groundbreaking commenced.

Each class had something prepared to show their gratitude and appreciation for the new school.

Kindergarteners did a cheer, as they raised letters that spelled “School”. First graders made a banner. Fourth graders made drawings of words. The first letter of each word spelled “Our new school”. Fifth and sixth graders prepared speeches for all in attendance.

After several years in the making, the new Hanna Elementary School is coming into focus, and the students were the first to break ground.

After every class presented, and speeches from Gates, Carbon County School District Board of Trustees member Bob Patton, community members and the construction company representative, the kids rushed toward gold-colored shovels leaning against a back hoe. There were only about 17 shovels, so the kids took turns digging. Some dug deep holes. Others just scratched the surface.

Adults watched in the background with smiles on their faces.

The process to bring a new elementary school into the Hanna community has been a long, and sometimes tiring, Gates said. But after waiting, the school is coming into view exactly as CCSD 2 envisioned it.

CCSD 2 Facilities Manager Larry Hepner said the district worked hard to save an existing gym at the site and repurpose it as the new school’s gym.

Gates said state-ran organizations mandated the old gym be torn down and a new one be built because of a square-footage issues.

The current gym is about 8,500 square feet, double the size of what the state says is reasonable for an elementary school gym.

Gates said CCSD 2 got an exception to the square footage and saved the gym.

“The community wanted to save it,” Gates said. “We all did. We didn’t think it was going to happen, but it did.”

A Pleasant Construction, of Green River, is the company tasked with the project estimated to cost $7.1 million. The sight for the new school is north of the current Hanna Elementary School.

Hepner said the estimated completion date is Aug. 22, 2014.