PHOTOS: Enota Elementary re-opens following rebuild process

Posted 5:00PM on Thursday, May 31, 2018

The ribbon has been cut and the new Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy building is officially ready for students in the fall.

Gainesville City Schools officials joined school administration, teachers, staff and students and their families for the ceremony Thursday morning.

Everyone gathered in the gym of the new school and sang the school after a few thank you's were said to those who had played a part in the creation of the new building.

"We've just finished a year that's presented some challenges, we were sharing a campus with another elementary school. Hopefully our children didn't notice it, I know our grown-ups tried to bear the brunt of being in a transition situation," said Enota Principal Wesley Roach. "However, I can tell you it's all been worth it."

The students shared the Centennial Arts Academy campus while their new school was under construction. "Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to move forward and we knew we had to move forward with the new school. It was a plan that was not without challenge but it was doable," Roach said. "Would I recommend others do it? Yeah. If it's going to end up with this kind of product, I definitely say it's worth doing."

The memory of the first Enota building, which stood for 63 years, was not lost. Details from the old school were incorporated into the new building, including the Smartville Water Authority tower, bricks from the original facade in the cafeteria stage and the oak doors on the original school now leads students into the media center.