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Officials cut ribbon to open new Williamstown Elementary School

By Brett Dunlap 5 min read

WILLIAMSTOWN -- The new Williamstown Elementary School was officially opened on Tuesday.

The school's administration as well as teachers, staff, representatives from the Wood County Board of Education and others gathered outside of the new building, located at 430 Caroline Ave., for a formal ribbon cutting before taking a tour of the new facility.

School starts for students on Sept. 8.

Principal Heather Bretthauer, known to the students as "Mrs. Bee," thanked her staff who have been in the building over the past month getting rooms and materials ready for students.

"This would not have happened without (them) to get our school to where it is today," she said. "My staff has been ready to go since the building started coming up.

"Since the day I said they could come in, they have been here every day since. They have dedicated themselves to making sure this place feels like a home."

Teachers and staff moved over with the help of a moving company secured by Assistant Superintendent Mike Fling.

"Everyone had a month and a half to get ready and the school looks absolutely beautiful," Bretthauer said. "This is a celebration of the hard work everyone has put into this building."

She was a little disappointed that families would not be able to see the building before school started.

Students will be on a staggered schedule with half going Monday and Wednesday and the other half going Tuesday and Thursday with the students learning remotely on the days they are not there. Bretthauer said many of the classes will average 10 students a day.

Teachers said students will be able to social distance so no one will be sitting right next to each other in a classroom.

Bretthauer said work is still being done on the new playground with some landscaping work that needs to be done. Due to health guidelines, the students will not be immediately able to play on the new equipment so they still have time to get it done.

Williamstown City Councilwoman Barb Lewis talked about all the things that came together for the new school to be built where it was, on the site of the former Fenton Glass Plant. She credited former Williamstown Mayor Jean Ford with getting people together on a committee to secure a site and figure out what would be needed to get it built.

"It is amazing if you sit and think about it," Lewis said. "We were thankful we were able to obtain this beautiful property we have here."

Bretthauer put together teams that picked out what was going to go into the building from the furniture to the colors and more, she said.

"Everything in this building has had a lot of sweat and tears poured over it to get exactly what was right for our school," Lewis said. "Williamstown is really proud of this new elementary school."

Wood County Board of Education President Justin Raber said this was the first new school opened in Wood County since 1985.

"(Addressing Principal Bretthauer) Heather you have been given the keys to move to the next chapter for Williamstown," Raber said. "We are thanking our community for what they invested in us and most importantly, what they are investing in our children."

Raber requested that Bretthauer not to just look at the school as a building, but to look at what will happen inside.

"Going forward, we are going to have amazing students coming through these doors," Raber said. "They are going to be taught by amazing teachers.

"That is what is going to happen in this building, the amazing things you and your staff will do for the next generation of students."

Many of the teachers in the building talked about having their rooms ready. Many were excited about having new technology available to them.

Bretthauer said they were going to be an "Apple school" with Apple computers and technology

"We are excited about (the Apple technology) and engaging the kids through technology," kindergarten teacher Candance Flanagin said.

Going from a rectangular room to a square room, she said it was fun to be able to put everything up

"It was nice to come in and redo everything and start fresh," Flanagin said.

Teacher aide Jennifer Riser, who is also in that classroom, said people have been impressed with the new building and the level of technology they will be working with.

However, it is all about the kids.

"We are excited to get the kids here," Riser said.

"We are ready for the kids now," Flanagin said.

Bretthauer has conducted Zoom meetings with parents to discuss what will be expected once school opens up with procedures, lunch, drop-offs/pick-ups and everything else.

"I think the parents are very prepared for the opening of our school," she said.

Bretthauer is ready for the school to open up and receive its first students.

"It is unbelievable," she said that they are at this point getting ready to open. "This building is everything I dreamed it would be."

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