TIFTON — After a year of renovations, the newly upgraded Len Lastinger Elementary is fully ready for the coming school year just in time for its onset.
The elementary school has received both massive overhauls and touch-ups to its infrastructure in the process of updating it, including new lighting, flooring, and windows as well as an expanded cafeteria and a completely overhauled media center and front office.
To celebrate the completion of this construction, school staff, the members of the Tift County Schools Board of Education, the local chamber of commerce, and several community members came together to hold a ribbon cutting Aug. 1.
Natalie Gore, school superintendent, began the ceremony by offering her thanks to everyone who had a hand in the renovation effort, including the contractors Parrish Construction and various community members who contributed to the project.
Her sentiments were echoed by Patsy Shivers, Len Lastinger principal, who took a moment to acknowledge the board members, community, and her own staff for their vital support. Shivers praised the school’s staff and faculty for their adaptability throughout the renovation process, which had been going on for much of the last school year.
“This whole process took us a year, but I will tell you — my staff truly showed up every day with a positive attitude,” Shivers said. “We were in boxes, in classrooms, in nooks and crannies, but we were still teaching children. Thank you so much to our staff for your flexibility and your patience through this process — I really do appreciate you guys.”
Shivers then invited Tyler Riddle, a representative of the school’s parent support group, to speak on behalf of the parents whose children would be attending the newly renovated school the following day.
Riddle noted that prior to the updates Len Lastinger had not changed much from when he remembers attending, but he was proud and pleased to see it be upgraded and modernized to such a degree.
“I can’t tell what Len Lastinger means to my family and our community,” he said. “But to see this school transform into — what I can only say is the most beautiful and most modern school that we have in the school system now — is really well deserved, and very long overdue.”
Shivers later expressed her confidence that the new features would positively impact the student body, particularly citing the new windows as a safety feature and the expanded cafeteria allowing for a more efficient lunch schedule. Those in attendance of the ribbon cutting were given the chance to see these improvements for themselves, as following the ceremony, they were encouraged to tour the facility independently.
Len Lastinger will begin its 2024-2025 school year tomorrow morning.