The $11.6 million project, which broke ground last December, increased the cafeteria seating from 350 to 500, meaning the school is now able to serve lunch to three waves of students.
The classrooms include two state-of-the-art labs for physics and biology, and the yearbook and newspaper staffs now have their own space in which to create.
“It’s just an amazing project all around,” said Headmaster Greg Hatzis, who joined dignitaries, students and representatives from the building committee at the event.
Tetreau, a Ludlowe graduate “from about 45 years ago,” said he was proud to be on hand for this project.
“It’s great to see we are keeping up and have the very best for our teachers and for our students,” he said.
Superintendent of Schools David Title said he could remember the day a few years ago when he got the call that part of the building’s roof had blown off.
“An entire wing of this building was basically under water,” he said.
The town acted fast to ensure students’ safety, but school officials realized more improvements were needed or “a lot of bad things could happen,” he said.
Mark Donald, who chaired the building committee, said he was pleased that the project, which was two years in the making, has finally come to fruition. “Believe it or not, back then my hair was all brown,” he joked.
The new cafeteria features a wall of windows and a long bench for eating or hanging out with friends. Many of the tables can be adjusted to create an auditorium-like space for meetings or performances, Hatzis said. He said he especially enjoys walking through when its full of happy students.
“They seem to enjoy it, too,” he said. “They like the energy.”
The third phase of the renovations is a window replacement project. The Environmental Protection Agency has to approved plans for PCB mitigation before that project can begin, Tetreau said.
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