PORTLAND, Maine — Parents, students, and educators celebrated the newly renovated Presumpscot, Longfellow, and Reiche elementary schools with a ribbon cutting on Saturday.
"It's just a really exciting day, talking to the community and all of the work that went into it," Ryan Scallon, superintendent for Portland Public Schools, said.
The renovations are part of the Buildings for our Future projects. The district noticed a growing need in each one of the schools in recent years, which prompted a push for changes.
From early concerns about funding to disbelief that a handful of school buildings could be renovated all at once, school board member Emily Figdor said the community's passion for education helped to make it happen.
"We transformed Presumpscot and the other aging school buildings into 21st-century learning environments, and we did it under budget and ahead of schedule," Figdor said.
The projects were made possible through a $64 million bond approved by city voters in 2017.
Community leaders Saturday also noted Lyseth Elementary School and its renovations, which also were funded by that bond. It had a ribbon cutting back in 2021.
Each school now features several new classrooms and learning spaces to fit student needs.
For example, the Reiche school used to be an open concept building and lacked doors and walls which often disrupted class time. Now, it features several closed-off classrooms surrounding a welcoming school library.
"There's so much dedication to public education in Portland, that we were really able to make something that seemed impossible, possible," Figdor said.