Addition to VHELP formally opens just in time for school

When Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park students return for classes Aug. 10, at least a few dozen of them will be walking into a brand new facility to start the year.

School faculty and staff and district officials held a formal ribbon cutting Wednesday, even though teachers have been hard at work for weeks getting their classrooms ready for students.

The school's new two-story addition adds 14 elementary classrooms, 10 regular and four multi-purpose, as well as two preschool classrooms.

Principal Ty Arendall said the new classrooms, particularly the multi-purposes spaces, have already been a game changer.

"These multi-purpose rooms are getting used every single day," Arendall said. Teachers can reserve the space for meetings as well as class time that requires more space or a lot of movement.

Arendall thanked Hoar Program Management and Lathan Associates for allowing the faculty and staff to have input on the design and features of the addition.