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August 31, 1999
Comfrey school nearly complete
By TONY ZIEBOL Journal Staff Writer COMFREY -- Children living in Comfrey may be starting the school year in Sanborn, but it won't be long before they will return to town. Classes at the new Comfrey public school, still under construction, will begin Sept. 20. Kids will spend the first days of September at the public school in Sanborn while the final preparations are being made. Although final figures are not in, the cost of the school is estimated at between $8 million and $9 million, said Superintendent Bob Meyer. Insurance money, grants, donations and other sources will pay for the project. The building, replacing the older one that was heavily damaged by the March 29, 1998 tornado, will have many new features. It will have a geo-thermal heating and cooling system, which is more efficient than the older boiler system. The school will operate a daycare center and is licensed to accept up to 21 daycare students. The locker rooms, which were located under the stage in the gym in the old building, have been moved outside to make it more handicap-accessible. In fact, after adding an elevator, the entire school is now handicap-accessible. In a unique situation, the school and community will share a library in the school, to be named the Comfrey Community Library. "It's one of the few in the state where the community and the school are combined for a library," Meyer said. As far as the community was concerned, the people of Comfrey were instrumental in getting the new school. The people believed the school was good for the town's businesses and for the community's well-being. "The people of Comfrey just felt that the school was one of the centers of the community," Meyer said. The school, which will be quickly moved into Sept. 16-18, will also receive the help of many volunteers, he said. "We've had many calls from people wanting to help us move," Meyer said. "We'll incorporate these people however we can and make the move as efficient as possible. "We're looking forward to moving in." Comfrey school nearly completed |