New rooms open at Eugene Field Elementary

SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
On Thursday, Jan. 9, the first day of the newly renovated rooms being open on the main floor of Eugene Field Elementary School, students in Holly Cronk’s art class create snowflakes in the brand new art room. Shown from left are Wesson Allen, Perrin Holthaus, Oakley Hann, Ra’Niya LeDux and Adalynn Haggard.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — On Thursday, Jan. 9, the first day of the newly renovated rooms being open on the main floor of Eugene Field Elementary School, students in Holly Cronk’s art class created snowflakes in the brand new art room, and three rooms filled with kindergarten students were taking naps, while construction continued on the east side of the building.

As part of the $23 million no-tax-increase bond approved by voters in April 2024, the district project with construction partner J.E. Dunn has stayed on schedule and budget, allowing the students not only back into their school building, but also into the newly renovated rooms with updated features like increased storage, new furniture and technology and even sinks for the kindergarten classrooms.

Assistant Superintendent Philip Pohren told The Forum during a recent tour of the new space that the newly opened area offers not just a new look and feel, but also additional safety at the new entrance and more space for teachers to meet together with a new conference room.

While renovation of the upstairs classrooms has now begun, some teachers are still using spaces that aren’t quite their own to hold class. However, the kindergarten teachers and their students are now located in their home classrooms on the north side of the building, and won’t be required to shift again once the construction is complete.