New Pana elementary school beginning to take shape

PANA, Ill. (WAND) - Construction is moving along in Pana on the new elementary school.

Superintendent Jason Bauer told WAND News the district is currently in the middle of the construction phase.

"Here in the next few weeks they will start putting up interior walls and the goal is by the end of October to have the building totally enclosed, so by the time we get into winter, they can start to work inside."

Pana Community Unit School District #8 broke ground on its new Elementary School in October 2022. Poettker Construction is the construction manager and BLDD is the architect for the new 65,000-square-foot elementary school.

It will replace the current elementary space that is located in two different buildings, Lincoln Elementary and Washington Elementary. The district said the two schools were in dire need of new improvements, like being ADA accessible and updates to the heating and cooling system.

"If you look at our current existing elementary schools, Washington and Lincoln, they are both 100 years old this year," shared Bauer.

The new Elementary School will be located at 203 W. 9th St. in Pana, which is right behind Pana High School and Pana Junior High School.

"That will help with transportation and bussing. It will also help with our professional development."

There will be two main zones: public and shared-use areas and the education zone. The public and shared-use areas include administrative offices, a commons and cafeteria area, an ICC 500 Storm Shelter-rated gymnasium, and areas designated for art, music, a library/media center, and STEM learning. The educational zone will have PK-2 located on the first floor, and 3rd -5th grades on the second floor. The classrooms go around the sides of the central gym.

There will be an outdoor learning environment with a 1/8-mile walking path and three playgrounds tailored to different age levels. A designated bus route will be created that is separate from the general parking.

Superintendent Bauer said there is excitement around the new facility, but also a sense of sadness.

"There's been a lot of generations go through there (Lincoln Elementary and Washington Elementary), so there's a lot of memories. I think there is a level of excitement because anytime you get to move into something new there is a lot of excitement."

The $24-million project will be paid for by ESSER Funds, Life Safety Bonds, and the 1% sales tax.

The district expects the project to be completed by June 2024.