'21st Century Education': New state-of-the-art Blackfoot elementary school to soon be ready for students

The final touches are being completed at the new Riverbend Elementary School in Blackfoot, bringing much needed 21st century updates and modernizations to benefit local students.

In 2021 Blackfoot School District residents voted to approve a $23.9 million bond for the new elementary school and to repurpose I.T. Stoddard Elementary School into a technical education center for high school students. Some of the funding was also used for various improvements to Blackfoot High School.

Brian Kress, superintendent of Blackfoot School District 55, invited members of the local media for a recent first-look walkthrough of the new Riverbend Elementary School, showcasing Blackfoot’s first new education focused building in over 20 years.

Upon approaching the new elementary school, located at 730 E. Walker St, onlookers will notice the bus depot and parent drop off addition just off the main thoroughfare. The building’s facade is an ashy gray color punctuated by splashes of burnt umber and pastel red. There are large windows featured all around the building, allowing natural light into the many different classrooms and areas of the school.

The primary entrance, where most of the students will enter from, has a foyer that connects to the primary main offices where people like the principal, counselor and other office personnel will be stationed. To ensure the safety of the school’s students, guests and visitors will have to check into this area before being permitted into the rest of the building. The school’s windows are also affixed with a bullet resistant film for extra safety.

Even before a student or visitor enters a classroom, there is a sense of a clean modern design throughout the architecture. The layout is relatively consistent and each long corridor is separated by specific grade levels, the first being kindergarten through first grade.

Everything is designed with pint-sized children in mind. Each classroom in the kindergarten through first grade corridor includes a bathroom with a tiny toilet and all the tables and chairs are fitted for young children.

Each wing of the new school also has separate larger student restrooms for boys and girls, a family bathroom and a staff bathroom. Drinking fountains are in each of the kindergarten and first grade classrooms in addition to being placed in many other areas of the school.

There is a sense of cohesion between each of these learning spaces to perfectly cater to a proper classroom size and still allow a sense of space and freedom for the learners.

Each of the school’s 23 classrooms can have a maximum of 28 students.

For children who are in second grade or older, there are learning tablets for each of them to utilize.

In keeping with the modern theme, each classroom has a sizable modern smart TV for teachers to use in conjunction their laptops or other devices. The smart TVs have touch-screen capabilities so they can highlight key features of lesson plans and encourage interaction from students. While there isn’t a single blackboard in the school, dry erase whiteboards are still included in every classroom.

The fluid design of the school allows easy access to the large and spacious cafeteria and commons room. With the pull of a sliding metal grate, students have access to an incredibly large and cohesive lunch preparation area from which food will be served.

The cafeteria flows easily into a music room. The design seems to encourage the ability to expand or retract the walls to each of these spaces, providing various room sizes depending on the need of the school function.

Further down a corridor is access to a nicely sized gymnasium which seems specifically created for sports and other activities without the need to share the area.

The other usual grade school rooms are all incorporated into Riverbend like a space for special education students, including transparent one-on-one rooms, as well as the teachers’ lounge, computer server room and maintenance closets. Every space within the school was designed with modern amenities like proper electrical outlets and automated lights.

No school would be complete without a playground and a nice, large grassy field to play in. Riverbend has all that as well as outside basketball hoops on a simple blacktop.

While construction of the school has been completed, there are still a few final technical aspects to be hashed out and the teachers still need to move into their classrooms.

Everything should be completely ready for students by the time classes begin on Aug. 21, but the public is encouraged to attend the school’s ribbon cutting ceremony and open house at noon on Aug. 16. People can explore the new school at the event and enjoy the hot dogs and other refreshments that will be available.

This newest educational addition is an important milestone in Blackfoot’s history and provides a powerful opportunity for kids to receive the best possible education possible in a modern setting.

“I truly believe that facilities like this, modern facilities with all the bells and whistles that 21st century education can provide, excite students, enhance learning and create opportunities for students,” Kress said. “When it comes down to it, it’s all about creating an environment where students feel welcome and want to learn and feel happy to come to school and participate. I think this building will accomplish that.”