Elementary education
Wind River pupils get tour of new school scheduled to open this fall
By Christina Gould
Staff Writer

For curious fourth-graders, a tour of their future elementary school building doesn’t necessarily spark interest about how much bigger the facility will be compared to their current building. Nor does it spark them to ask questions about the construction work taking place as the building takes shape.
Instead, the important questions and suggestions in their minds that come to light include the possibility of having purple-colored toilets as well as bicycle racks.
Those were just a few of the comments made by Wind River Elementary School fourth-graders during Wednesday’s tour of their future school, which will house about 180 students in preschool through fifth grade.
The Fremont County School District 6 60,000-square-foot, 16-classroom building is ahead of schedule, and superintendent Diana Clapp said classes are expected to start on time in the new facility this fall.
“It is looking like we can get in the first of August,” Clapp said.
Earlier projections had the building to be fully operational by mid-October.
“Our schedule is going very well. We have been taking advantage of good weather,” project manager and tour guide John Griffith of Groathouse Construction said. “We are right now at the finishing stage doing a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff such as electric and mechanic systems and ascetics like painting and flooring. We still have a lot of landscaping and a road to do.”
Recently finished was the building’s geothermal system. Griffith said this will be the first fully functional geothermal system in the state.
“It is comprised of about 120 wells at 300 feet deep underneath the parking lot,” he said. “It was not the hardest, but was the most unique challenge we have had so far.”
During the tour, students asked if the system is going to be good for the environment.
“Yes. You get a lot of work for not a lot of energy,” Griffith said.
The group of 26 pupils was paraded around the building to see classrooms, the commons area where lunch will be served, the library/media center and the gymnasium, which also will house a stage.
School spirit is evident throughout the building as much of the window and door trim stands out in the school-spirit color of purple. There also is a hand-painted cougar mascot on one wall of the gym.
“School spirit is all over the building,” Griffith said.
Even the lockers in the locker room are purple.
“What are we going to put in these lockers?” one student asked.
Despite the probability the school is expected to be completed early, one student asked the next time a construction project takes place if the “Home Edition” television show could do it so it could be completed in one week.
Another student asked about paying for the new structure.
“What if the teachers don’t have enough money to pay for the school? Will we have to help pay for it?” Michael Gerhardt asked.
Overall, the pupils seemed to be pleased with the new school.
Construction on the $13 million elementary school began in April 2007. The only issue the district has come across was the need to add an additional two classrooms to one of the two wings when enrollment increases became evident.