PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Deep Creek Elementary School is just one of several schools in Charlotte County undergoing renovations this summer.
Charlotte County Community Correspondent Victoria Scott reached out to one of her contacts who gave her some insight into what’s happening before students return to school in August.
“Our schools look like this in the summer so they look beautiful when our students arrive,” said Claudette Smith, spokesperson for Charlotte County Public Schools.
Construction crews are working on school campuses throughout Charlotte County.
“We do floor waxing, roofing, plumbing, HVAC,” Smith told Scott. “The list is really endless.”
Charlotte County Public Schools also place great emphasis on technological improvement for their students.
“We are replacing Chromebooks, not just in Deep Creek, but in all elementary schools across the district,” Smith said. “There are over 8,000 of them.”
State and federal grants help make these investments possible.
Second-graders at Deep Creek Elementary School will also be learning on brand new portable devices on campus.
“We have an increase in students,” Smith said. “We need to be able to adjust. Here at Deep Creek Elementary, they’re getting 12 additional classrooms to accommodate their second-graders.”
Smith told Scott that roofing and other projects had been on the to-do list for some time.
“We had a lot of damage after the hurricane,” she said. “That includes carpet replacement. There’s the heating and ventilation system. There are just so many things that still need to be replaced after Hurricane Ian, and we’re just catching up.”
She said the most important thing is to make students feel safe and comfortable.
“We want them to feel welcome and safe so they can have a great learning experience,” Smith said.
