A unique school for Central Oregon celebrated its opening last week.

The Aug. 13 ribbon cutting ceremony for the Redmond Early Learning Center drew dignitaries from across the city to the Hugh Hartman building on Antler Avenue. The campus plays host to 370 kindergarten students, centralizing kindergarten classes from around the city. Some of the students sang at the ribbon cutting, showing off a bit of what they’ve learned.

Another 60 preschoolers attend the school. They are a mix of low income Redmond School District students and students in a class run by High Desert Education Service District, including students with and without special needs.

Griffin Construction, of Prineville, spent June through August renovating the building, which opened in 1996 and was most recently used for Redmond Proficiency Academy, making it ready for younger students.

“It was a beautiful middle school, but it wasn’t ready for early learning,” said Principal Desiree Margo.

The most noticeable change is wooden fixtures, meant to resemble clouds, that are suspended above the hallways. Margo said they make the vast ceilings in the building seem a little less daunting for young children.

“It used to be these huge, tall ceilings that were super echoey,” she said.

The school, which opened to students Sept. 15, also features a new accessible playground and cubbies in the classroom for the kids to keep their school items. Another noticeable change is the redesigned “hive” where four wings of the building come together. There students go from the main hallway to three halls with five classrooms each.

The area keeps with the Early Learning Center’s mascot, the Honeybees. Signs also remind students to “Bee safe, Bee responsible, Bee kind.”

School district officials and community members put effort into not doing the “same old thing” when planning for a new elementary school, Superintendent Mike McIntosh said.

“As we look at the continuum from birth to grave in our community, we want to start early getting our kids prepared for that future before them,” he said. “So they can be as successful as possible.”

— Reporter: 541-548-2186, gfolsom@redmondspokesman.com