For months the preschool classroom at Humann Elementary had been filled with construction equipment, paint buckets and people wearing hard hats.
But on Thursday morning, the first day for preschool students, the classroom finally had brand new backpacks hanging in the fresh cubbies, toys scattered around the room during play time and excited little voices filling up the space.
“It's super exciting. It's the first time that they get to experience the classroom,†said Kendra Elmshauser, a preschool teacher at Humann. “So even walking into the classroom, hanging up backpacks, seeing their look on their face when they get to see the classroom, it’s great.â€
Renovations to Humann’s early childhood space were among those included in Lincoln Public Schools’ plan to prioritize and expand early education offerings through roughly $11 million in funding from the 2020 bond issue.
The classroom space at Humann, along with those at Fredstrom and Huntington elementaries, received upgrades, including new paint, new carpet, bigger restrooms and work to make the classrooms more open. Renovations at Humann and Huntington are complete, but those at Fredstrom are ongoing.
Additionally, LPS is currently working to construct new additions for preschool space at Arnold, Kooser, Roper, Fredstrom, Humann and Huntington elementaries to open at the beginning of the second semester in January.
For Elmshauser, the district’s recent investment in preschool offerings is a good sign that the importance of early childhood education will continue to be shared and appreciated by the community.
“It's been really great to see that LPS is really putting a significance into putting funding and money into early childhood,†she said. “Sometimes it kind of feels like early childhood, at times, can be kind of forgotten or kind of viewed almost like a day care setting. But really understanding that preschool and the learning and how the importance of that is going to set the tone for later on is very important.â€
The projects are coming at the perfect time, too, said to Cara Lucas-Richt, the director of early childhood at LPS, because early childhood education continues to see an increase in demand across Lincoln.
In recent years, LPS has seen growth in early childhood enrollment “every single year.†Last school year, between August and May, enrollment grew by 536 students.
LPS currently serves approximately 1,500 preschool students between its 77 early childhood classes at 31 schools. With the new construction, the district will now have the ability to have 91 classes in total, and will be able to serve just under 1,800 students.
During preschool, students not only learn their ABCs, but they also work on managing their feelings and emotions, communication, gross motor development and how to make friends.
“It's an important age for a lot of development, and there's huge gains that are made for children in those early childhood years,†Lucas-Richt said.
The new space at Humann is exactly what was needed to provide students with everything they need to succeed, said Jennifer Haney, an early childhood special education teacher.
Haney, who has been teaching early childhood at LPS for 25 years, said the new space is “really lively and inviting,†and will be a fun place for students to learn. Plus, there’s more room for the students to play, and it’s now more accessible for children who use wheelchairs or walkers.
“The sky's the limit in there,†she said. “It's a lot of fun.â€