PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Deep Creek Elementary School is just one of several schools in Charlotte County that's getting a makeover this summer.
Charlotte County Community Correspondent Victoria Scott reached out to one of her contacts who gave her an inside look at how it's shaping up before students come back in August.
"Our schools look like this during the summer so that they look beautiful for when our students arrive," said Charlotte County Public Schools Public Information Officer Claudette Smith.
Construction crews are working on school campuses all over Charlotte County.
“We have waxing of floors, roofing, plumbing, HVAC," Smith told Scott. "I mean, the list is endless, really.”
Charlotte County Public Schools is also prioritizing upgrades in technology for its students.
"We're refreshing the Chromebooks, actually not just at Deep Creek, but all elementary schools district-wide are getting new Chromebooks," Smith said. "It's over 8,000 of them."
State and federal grants help make these investments possible.
Second-grade students at Deep Creek Elementary School will also learn in brand-new portables on campus.
"We have student growth," Smith said. "We have to be able to accommodate. So, here at Deep Creek Elementary, they are getting 12 additional classrooms that's going to house their second-grade students."
Smith told Scott roof work and other projects have been on the to-do list for a while.
"After the hurricane, we had a lot of damage," she said. "So, there's carpet replacement. There's HVAC. There's just so many things that still need to be replaced from Hurricane Ian, and that we're just catching up on."
She said the bottom line is to keep students safe and comfortable.
"We want them to feel welcomed and safe so that they have a great educational experience," Smith said.
