Camas Ridge Community School, the final building replaced by Eugene 4J School District’s 2018 bond, opened its doors this fall.
Many students say they already like their new school better, including Jemma Banks, a 10-year-old who has attended Camas Ridge since kindergarten.
“This new school is really nice - compared to the old one,” Banks said. “My favorite parts are probably the playground - that’s where I play at recess with my friends, and I also really love the library because it has my favorite book series in it, ‘Wings of Fire’ and ‘Percy Jackson.’”
The new building also has a covered basketball court and much larger gym - which are fifth grader Keizen’s favorite improvements.
“I like it a lot,” he said. “But my favorite thing is the basketball court because it's covered. Last year it wasn’t covered and it rained a lot and it was tough. I didn’t get to play basketball.”
This school replaced Eugene 4J’s second oldest building - which was overcrowded, lacked air conditioning, and had water issues.
The district also created a garden for students to grow vegetables, and saved many of the murals from the old building, which have been placed around the school.
The original Camas Ridge school was built in 1949. The district’s bond also replaced Edison Elementary, which was built in 1925, and North Eugene High School, which was built in 1957.
The public is invited to tour Camas Ridge Community School Thursday, Oct. 24 from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
The school is located at 1150 East 29th Ave. in Eugene.
