DOUGLAS — Although there’s still some work to be done prior to the start of the school year Aug. 29, Douglas Elementary is ready to welcome students back to freshly renovated spaces throughout the building. 

Members of the Saugatuck Public Schools Board of Education were given a tour of DES prior to their meeting Monday, Aug. 15. Superintendent Tim Travis and DES Principal Michaelle Gust showed the progress on the building's new entry and front office, learning commons, classrooms and outdoor learning space.

“It’s just really exciting at Douglas Elementary School for students, teachers and parents,” Travis said during the board meeting following the tour. “We’re really thankful to our community. It’s truly going to be a beautiful learning space, so is the middle school/high school when it’s done. It’s going to function really well.”

A new secure entry requires any visitors to enter through the office and to be buzzed in by someone in the office. 

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The outdoor learning space was designed by GMB Architecture and Engineering, which handled the design of the renovation project as a whole, and was built by the Outdoor Discovery Center.. It includes a covered outdoor classroom, other seating areas, a hanging art wall and play features for when it’s not being used by a classroom. 

Douglas Elementary will now have two learning commons, or library, areas — one for K-2 students and one for 3-5 students. The upper learning commons is being used as a classroom to start the year while the final four classrooms are renovated. Those are expected to be finished around winter break.

New lockers were installed for upper elementary students. They are made of plastic so they don’t rust. The building also has renovated bathrooms, expanded bathrooms in lower elementary classrooms and a dedicated volunteer space. 

Travis and Gust also highlighted a new student support area, located in the center of the building. It includes special education and counseling services, easily accessible to the whole building. 

Work is continuing at Saugatuck Middle/High School as well. Renovations to the gyms, bathrooms and shop class are wrapping up this summer, while band suite and administration additions continue to be built.

Travis said he sees the facilities as ones other districts will look to as they begin bond projects, and that one district already has.

“We had a visit from another school (Monday),” he said. “We built a facility that people will want to come and learn from while trying to renovate theirs.”

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.