08/19/2026
🏗️ Elementary Construction Update: We're Almost Home!
We have reached another major milestone in the transformation of Gladbrook-Reinbeck Elementary!
This week, we officially reached our substantial completion date and completed our walkthrough to develop the project's punch list. While there is still work to be completed, we are quickly transitioning from a construction site back to a school, and the progress happening each day is incredible!
Over the next several days, crews will continue finishing classroom flooring, countertops, base, alarm systems, and other details throughout the building. The terrazzo floors are being refinished and polished, professional cleaners are moving through the building, and work continues in the office and addition.
Our current plan is to begin welcoming teachers back into their newly renovated classrooms on Thursday!
🪑 Furniture & Move-In
Furniture has begun arriving at multiple locations across the district, with additional shipments coming over the next several days. Our furniture installation team will begin working alongside district staff to assemble and place furniture as quickly as possible.
We're also incredibly grateful to have some extra muscle helping us with the move! Members of our GR football and volleyball teams will be assisting with moving furniture and materials into classrooms, while our Buildings & Grounds team and Peters Construction continue working together to get everything where it needs to go.
There will still be work happening around our staff as they begin setting up classrooms, and some finishing work will continue after school begins. Our contractors have been tremendous partners throughout this process and will continue scheduling that work to minimize disruption to students and staff.
🏫 From Construction Site to Classroom
This is the part we've been waiting for.
Over the last several months, spaces that generations of GR students and staff have known have been completely transformed. New floors, ceilings, lighting, HVAC, technology, finishes, furniture, safety improvements, and so much more are coming together to create learning environments our students and staff will enjoy for years to come.
And, of course, outside sits an incredible new playground, made possible in large part through the extraordinary support and fundraising efforts of our GR PTO and community!
Will absolutely everything be perfect on day one? Probably not.
Construction projects of this size come with punch-list items, final deliveries, adjustments, and finishing touches. Some cabinetry and other components will arrive after the school year begins, and we'll continue working through those pieces while keeping teaching and learning at the center of every decision.
But each day, we're getting closer to 100%.
💙🩶 Getting Ready Together
As we enter these final days, we're also looking for ways our community can help our teachers prepare for students!
Over the next couple of weeks, there may be opportunities for volunteers to help with things like making copies, organizing student materials, preparing workbooks, and other simple tasks that give our teachers more time to focus on creating incredible classrooms and preparing for their students.
If you'd like to get a exclusive peak into the building and help our teachers and staff out, please reach out to Mr. Bonjour - [email protected] or comment on the social media post and we will be reaching out with additional details.
An enormous thank you goes to our construction partners, contractors, Buildings & Grounds team, staff, PTO, students, families, and community members who have helped make this project possible.
There have been long days, unexpected challenges, and a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes to reach this point.
Now comes the fun part.
It's time to turn this beautiful new building back into a school.
We can't wait to see our teachers begin moving in this week, and even more importantly, we can't wait to open those doors for our students!
We're almost home, Rebels! 🏗️💙🩶
Building Forward. Together.
