Schools On The Move

The work and preparation of the past few years culminated in a district-wide room and building shuffle for most Glasgow teachers. The process started the last week of school, but will continue as the new Irle Elementary facility is finished and rooms are cleaned and painted at Eastside Middle School for new occupants. High school students who are members of the Key Club, the Glasgow Reds baseball team, and students who plan to go on the school’s next Washington, D.C. trip helped with the move to raise money.

All staff who work with students in Kindergarten through fifth grade will move into the new Irle building upon completion. Eastside Middle School will now serve students in grades six through eight. While some of the Eastside teachers already taught there, others will move down from the high school, which has housed grades seven through twelve for the past 12 years. Many teachers who will continue teaching at the high school have changed rooms so that those who teach the same subjects can work in the same area and better collaborate.

Many junior high and high school students assisted teachers with packing and moving during class the last few days of school at the high school whenever time allowed.

Irle Elementary principal Rachel Erickson said that the timeline has been the biggest challenge, since there is so little time available to move. The school district does not yet have full possession of the new building, but does have permission to move furniture and some belongings into the middle of some rooms. The building then will be completed around the items being stored there. The old facility is slated for demolition on June 30, but is dependent on possible asbestos abatement issues.

Erickson said that the wet, rainy weather has also been an issue. She said the Reds have been the elementary’s main moving crew and that “they have been fantastic and hard-working”. About the move itself, Erickson said, “I am very appreciative and excited about the educational opportunities a new facility will give Glasgow elementary students.”

Mike Zoanni, Eastside Principal, noted that GHS students Kyle Ross and Justice Meland have been a huge help moving equipment from one place to another. DC trip students moved a few of the junior high teachers from the high school to Eastside and all of the janitors in the school district have also been of great assistance. Zoanni commended the patience and perseverance of staff and students as they “pack a whole lot of good memories”. Eastside students in grades four and five helped their teachers pack all week and move boxes to the staging area (Eastside’s multi-purpose room), awaiting the big move.

Zoanni continued, “I am excited to utilize the renovations here at Eastside and feel likewise for what the future holds for middle school students as well as the K-5 setting. It will be fun to hear a year later the reactions of my fourth graders who will go to Irle for grade 5 and then back to me for middle school.”