School District No. 73 re-opens Ralph Bell School

SD73’s facilities and maintenance department completed a total overhaul of its 60-year-old Ralph Bell Elementary School in time for a September 2022 opening.

BY CATHERINE MATHESON, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, SD NO. 73 (KAMLOOPS-THOMPSON)

To say that facilities and maintenance crews have been hard at work in the KamloopsThompson School District would be an understatement.

“The district’s facilities and maintenance department has done an incredible job with the modernization and renovation work to prepare Ralph Bell Elementary School for reopening,” says Heather Grieve, School District No. 73 Board Chair. “Often times, larger projects are contracted out, but this was the work of District employees and the successful school opening was a product of many moving parts and a vision that came to fruition.”

Beginning in early 2022, contractors and maintenance crews completely overhauled the 60yearold building. The extensive renovation list included the installation of new flooring, lockers, roll shutters, LED lighting, bathroom upgrades, all new appliances, doors and hardware, updates to the electrical system, and a new paint job to the interior of the building at a onetime capital cost of $759,000.

“This was a rewarding project,” says Kyle Biggar, Facilities Department Project Manager. “Major changes could be seen week to week as our staff worked diligently to have the building ready for September 2022.”

The 10room, 26,330 square foot space also features new IT infrastructure including a fibre Internet connection that is faster and provides more bandwidth than any other district elementary school. A new stateoftheart WiFi system was installed to use this speed and bandwidth along with new server technology which will become the new standard for all district elementary schools moving forward.

“I am so thankful for our district staff who have been painting, re-flooring, building, and moving brand new educational resources into our school,” says Tiffany Hawkins, Principal of Ralph Bell. “A school reopening is about coming together to create a place of welcoming, care, and belonging.”

The exterior is freshly painted in gray and accented in Louisianahotsauce red, and portions of the asphalt have been repaved. A brand new fully accessible playground, valued at $165,000, has also been installed based on universal design principles to ensure inclusivity for all elementaryaged students regardless of ability. This playground is one of two in the district

The Grounds Crew installed a new fully accessible playground based on universal design principles to ensure inclusivity.

this year and one of 30 ministryfunded playgrounds in 24 school districts throughout B.C.

For John Kerssens, the memories of Ralph Bell are particularly fond. Kerssens was the custodian at Ralph Bell when it shut down in 2010 due to declining enrolment, and this past summer, he was part of the grounds crew in charge of building the new play structure for incoming students.

“The KamloopsThompson School District has experienced unparalleled student enrolment growth — the equivalent of one elementary school each year,” stated Dr. Rhonda Nixon, Superintendent. “The reopening of Ralph Bell Elementary alleviates the enrolment pressures of two neighborhood schools and is a welcome, vibrant school reopening for over 200 students and families." n

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