Attica Consolidated School Corporation officials broke ground at the location of new elementary school building next to Attica Junior-Senior High School on the chilly windswept morning of March 9.
ACSC Board of Education President Kelly Hiller opened the ceremony by describing the years-long process of making this project a reality.
“The conversations about moving the elementary school out to the high school and getting those plans in place have been years in the making as we’ve really taken a thoughtful approach as to what’s best for our school and what’s best for our community,” she said. “Having everything on one campus will be just so exciting and give even more opportunities to our school who we care immensely about as well as for our faculty, our teachers, our staff. Allowing us to bring all our Rambler family into one place will create so many advantages for all of us and we’re really, really excited about it.”
Hiller thanked ACSC’s partners in the project: Tecton and Gibraltar Design.
“They’ve been great partners,” she said. “Every challenge we’ve thrown at them they’ve come up with creative solutions of what’s best for us and being good stewards of our dollars.”
Hiller also thanked ACSC’s administrators for all of the work they’ve put into getting the project to this point.
“Countless hours of meetings, decision making, thinking about all the different things you have to take into consideration with logistics and meeting the needs of our students and of our teachers and all of our staff at our schools,” she said. “That’s always been our top priority.”
Hiller thanked ACSC Maintenance Director Dan Goris for making certain they took everything possible into consideration with these projects.
She also thanked Interim Superintendent Dawn Puckett for jumping and hitting the ground running when she started in her position.
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Attica Mayor Duane Roderick spoke briefly during the ceremony.
He said he understands the current elementary school is older and it’s time to look to the future.
“We under that building’s kind of older where we’re at now and it’s just time to move forward,” he said. “We have a lot exciting things happening with economic development in the future and we’re looking for new housing and this is just going to fit right in and help us build our city. We know our school is the heart and soul of the city and we truly appreciate all of you and your efforts.”
Attica Elementary School Principal Dusty Goodwin also spoke during the ceremony.
Goodwin said his family has made Attica their home and he’s blessed that his children have had the chance to grow up in Attica schools.
“The Attica schools have been great to the community, to myself, to my family,” he said. “It’s great to have a school board and a city that has a vision for the future. I think this elementary is just one small part of the vision moving forward for Attica. I also know from my 16 years here that a school is not just the brick and mortar. It’s not the outside that counts. It’s all the teachers, students, parents and everybody who’s walked the hall of the Attica Elementary School on 500 E. Washington St. We appreciate all of them. I know there’s fond memories of the elementary school. A lot of great friendships started in those halls and cafeteria and classrooms. Hopefully with this new building our new students will have the same fond memories and build those lasting relationships.”
After the speakers were finished, several different groups of officials, administrators, teachers and students took turns breaking ground outside the high school.
The new elementary school will be located on the same campus as Attica Junior-Senior High School and is expected to be completed in July 2024.
