Students, teachers, administrators, parents and VIPS were in attendance Friday morning, August 26, at Claiborne Elementary School for the newly built school’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The school, under the leadership of Principal Tate and located at 4707 Denham St., opened on the district’s first day of school, August 10.  The new site brings the upper and lower Claiborne Elementary schools together again after being placed in separate buildings while demolition of the old school and construction of the new school took place.

The school’s total project cost was $17.239 million, which included an extension of Denham Road to Foster Drive with the addition of a small bridge.  The 94,698-square-foot, two-story school has an 825-student capacity for grades Pre-K-5.  With 35 core academic areas, each wing has a teacher center.  The site also includes a media center with computer labs, multipurpose area with a stage, art classrooms with kilns and sinks, music classroom, two playground areas and three Pre-K classrooms.  The school offers Gifted & Talented programs. CSRS|Garrard Program Management, Coleman Partners Architects and Cangelosi Ward General Contractors were involved in the construction project.