Schofield students, faculty celebrate new gymnasium

The students and faculty of Schofield Elementary School in Republic celebrated the construction of the school’s new gymnasium on Thursday, March 31, with a special assembly in the new building. During the gathering, 32 students and staff members took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony where they each cut a section of an orange ribbon to mark the building’s completion. Before the building was constructed, Schofield was the only school in the district without a gymnasium.
The new build was completed in mid-March and cost $1.9 million; it was part of a total $10.9-million construction project which also included the building of a new early-childhood education center, which is expected to be completed this summer, and the purchase of land for a future school building. The funding for the project came from a tax levy passed by Republic voters during the April 6, 2021 election.
In addition to being a gymnasium, the building is also a high-wind shelter which can house the students from Schofield and McCulloch in the event of a tornado or other inclement weather. Jason Perkins, executive director of operations for the school district, said the building is 9,000 square feet in size and can hold up to 1,200 people during a weather emergency.
Members of the public were invited to tour the new building on the evening of March 31. Perkins said both the students and the public were delighted with what they saw.
“We received many positive comments,” he said, “and the students were extremely excited to utilize it as well.”

For more information:
A video of the ceremony can be seen on the district’s website at www.republicschools.org/constructionupdates.