by Georgann Yara

Special for The Arizona Republic

June 5, 2010

TEMPE - School may be out, but the Aguilar Elementary School campus will be far from quiet with an estimated $9 million renovation set to kick off in July.

The plans include construction of a new 65,300-sqaure foot, two-story building that will house classrooms and offices, and the remodeling of the multipurpose building. The main building will be demolished and turned into fields, said Steve Pomroy, facilities management director for the Tempe Elementary School District.

Aguilar, on South Forest Avenue just east of Kiwanis Park, is the first of several district-wide projects to be funded by a $77 million bond that voters passed in November 2009.

Construction is expected to continue through July 2011. School will continue to be in session during renovations.

Like all of the recent school renovations, Aguilar's will include energy efficient cooling and electrical systems. Classrooms will be built to take advantage of natural light and feature computers, Smart Boards and the latest audio and video technology.

"These new school are state-of-the-art education facilities. We are very proud of them," Pomroy said.

Feedback on design and practical needs from parents and teachers will be considered during the construction process, with certain touches added specifically to meet the Aguilar community's requests.

One concern with the facility was the location of the hand-washing area, which was not near the cafeteria, said Thew parent Jacki Gomez said. That will be changed in the new building.

The campus' main building was built in 1975, in a circle formation, leaving pie-shaped rooms separated by dividers, not solid, permanent walls. This allows noise to carry between classrooms, creating distractions and increasing noise, said Gomez, who also substitute teaches at Thew and will have two children there next year.

"I've seen the plans, and I think they look great. The kids are going to have more room, the classrooms are going to be better laid out," she said. "At this age, they need to be exposed to upcoming technology."

Technology-enhanced classrooms will provide teachers with more support and options to deliver their curriculum, said Principal JoLyn Gibbons.

"It improves students' desires to learn and gives teachers a different way to look at learning," she said.

A new program with an emphasis on how physical fitness aligns with academic achievement will also be incorporated.

Gibbons said new and better neighborhood schools are the best evidence of residents' tax dollars at work.

"They see what effects the bonds have had and the community knows we're not asking for money just to ask," she said. "We are incredibly excited to get started and continue to do what we've been doing in an environment best suited for learning."

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2010/06/04/20100604tempe-aguilar-elementary-school-renovation.html#ixzz0qExBCBh0