City's newest elementary school nears completion

Classrooms have carpet, the gym has basketball hoops and the art room has its colorful tile floor.

Even with a front entrance leading to dirt and construction gear piled across the main commons, it's easy to visualize a bustling school.

Susan B. Anthony Elementary School will hold about 670 students when it's finished, more than enough to handle the crowd it will open doors to this fall, said Jeff Kreiter, operational services director for the Sioux Falls School District.

"Yep, I think they're looking forward to it," Kreiter said.

Construction on the two-story, 28-classroom school is on track, and about $450,000 under budget, Kreiter said.

The newest elementary school for the Sioux Falls School District cost about $12.2 million to design and build, just south of 27th Street between Dakota and Center avenues.

It unites students from Longfellow and Mark Twain Elementary schools.

Parent Marnie Backer said she was looking forward to the move. Her third-grade son, Finn, however, will miss Mark Twain.

"We are sad," Backer said. "But you know, I think it's good to be sad. You have to look ahead."

Longfellow will be transferred to DakotAbilities, a nonprofit support service for people with disabilities. Mark Twain will be demolished as soon as workers can remove everything from the building, likely before June, Kreiter said.

The new school still needs work, but the feel and scope of Susan B. Anthony are already apparent. It's bigger, more modern. Skylights and windows fill the entire building with natural light.

Perhaps the most impressive addition is the library: A two-story giant, with massive windows looking out over the old Mark Twain building to the north, and smaller interior windows, which will allow people on the second floor hallways to peer down on the book borrowers.

Architects used design elements from some of the district's other new schools, including Rosa Parks, R.F. Pettigrew and Discovery elementary schools, Kreiter said.

Workers will begin moving desks and chairs into classrooms later this month, and teachers will be able to get into the building in mid-June to start setting up for fall semester, Kreiter said.

"All of the classrooms are pretty close to done," Kreiter said. "Everything should be in pretty good shape."