The construction time was difficult, but in the end it was tight.
But in the end the new elementary school in Rottach-Egern could be moved into after the Whitsun holidays.
Rottach-Egern
- The front door is still a bit stuck. “There are always a few little things that still need to be done during construction,” says Rector Ulrich Throner. That doesn't detract from the joy of moving into the new Rottach elementary school. “We got off to a good start,” says Throner about the beginning of the first week of school in the new house. He and his team are relieved that the lessons can take place in person. That hadn't been clear for a long time. It was only when the furniture was delivered shortly before the end of the holidays that it became apparent that the distances were sufficient to meet the Corona requirements (we reported). Meanwhile, the incidence has dropped so much that homeschooling is no longer necessary. “The children are very happy to be here,” reports Throner. The open all-day school with a warm lunch and supervision are also well received.The fact that the opening date could be held is "a small miracle," says Mayor Christian Köck. The construction during the pandemic cost a lot of energy and nerves. Above all, treasurer Martin Butz, as the representative of the school association, has done a lot to keep the move-in date despite all the adversities.
Mobile classrooms dismantled in May
That was important in view of the acute shortage of space.
Since the demolition of the old pavilion and the start of construction work in spring 2019, the 263 middle school students and 211 elementary school students have had to make do with little space.
Two mobile classrooms made the situation easier, but were dismantled on May 11th.
With the new building, the primary school students now have their own building with eight classrooms, a dining room and a library.
"That's a big improvement," says Throner.
Personal conversations after parental criticism
However, according to some parents, the improvement could have been greater. The fact that there are no wash basins in the classrooms and that no ventilation system was installed resulted in open criticism. “But we were able to clear that up in personal discussions,” reports Köck. After inspections with parents, he received consistently positive feedback. The bright, friendly rooms that allow learning landscapes are something completely different from the classrooms of his childhood, says Köck.
In addition, Corona was not yet an issue at the time of planning.
Installing the wash basin and ventilation afterwards would have “required a roll backwards”.
Air filters have been retrofitted, and there are hand washing stations in the corridors.
“At home, the children don't have a washbasin in their children's room,” says Köck.
The equipment requirements had been laboriously determined and there were sightseeing trips.
There are whiteboards and projectors, but you might not need other things so urgently.
Not all wishes met
Throner, however, holds on to some points of criticism despite all the joy about the new building.
He thinks the washbasin in the classrooms is appropriate, as well as a ventilation system in a modern new building, the rector makes clear.
Unfortunately, this fell victim to the red pen.
Structurally, too, it has become a bit tighter than hoped.
That is why the “marketplaces” for open forms of learning have now turned out to be quite small.
"That was thought bigger."
The construction work on the school complex has not yet been completed.
The school yard will be renewed during the summer holidays, and the driveway will be redesigned in 2022.
The costs for new construction and outdoor facilities amount to ten million euros.
