(WXMI) — Demolition is underway on the original wing of Hamilton Elementary School, marking the end of an era for a space that has created memories for over 70 years.
The project began after a bond was passed in 2023. It includes a nearly complete new wing that will open for the 2025-26 school year.
WATCH: Hamilton Elementary builds new wing, demolishes original wing
Loren Joostberns is a 1970 Hamilton graduate and current school board member. He went to elementary school in the original building.
"I grew up in the backyard just over here from Hamilton Elementary. It's kind of been in my life the whole time. I went here to this school in kindergarten through fourth grade," Joostberns said.
After graduating from Hamilton, Joostberns spent 30 years as a teacher in the district before joining the school board, where he has served for over a decade.
"It's really inspiring that the community looked at what we were proposing to them and decided that yes, we need to improve things, we need to have a better situation for our kids," Joostberns said.
Hamilton Elementary School first opened its doors in 1953 and has served students continuously since then.
"It's one of those when they're walking through and seeing what was to what it's going to be, it really resonated with them to like, 'Oh, this is a really great opportunity,'" Lusk said.
The new wing will house all second-grade classrooms, special education programs, STEM facilities, and include a community space.
"There's a lot of excitement about this coming from the older wing, the historic wing, like to say, to our more modern wing. And it's a token of pride to see that we're moving forward," Lusk said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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