Construction to Start this fall for new Elementary School

Pana Community Unit School District #8 held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, October 18, to kick off the construction of a new Elementary School. Poettker Construction is serving as the construction manager and BLDD the architect for the new 65,000-square-foot elementary school, which will replace outdated, non-efficient elementary space currently located in 2 separate buildings.

“Poettker has a reputation for outstanding financial responsibility, safety performance, quality construction, and schedule management, which are instrumental when working with school districts,” said Jason Bauer, superintendent of Pana CUSD 8.

Jon Carroll, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer with Poettker Construction, added, “We are truly honored to serve as the construction manager on this new 21st century learning center for the Pana community and look forward to providing a safe, modern, and welcoming learning environment for its students.”

The new Elementary School, located at 203 W. 9th St. in Pana, Ill., will feature two main zones: public and shared-use areas and the education zone. The public and shared use areas included administrative offices, a commons and cafeteria area, an ICC 500 Storm Shelter-rated gymnasium, and areas designated for art, music, library/media center, and STEM learning.

The educational zone is organized with the PK-2 located on the first floor, with the 3rd -5th grades on the second floor. The classrooms wrap around the sides of the central gym, with quick access to and from that area.

The campus features an outdoor learning environment with a 1/8-mile walking path and 3 playgrounds tailored to different age levels. For student safety, a designated bus route will be created that is separate from the general parking.

Construction is expected to begin this fall with completion in time for the 2024 school year.