EPHRATA — Community members and Ephrata School District officials stepped into Columbia Ridge Elementary’s newly renovated gym for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 28.

“Our (renovation) journey began in 2019, and we successfully completed it in 2023,” said Columbia Ridge Principal Karla Williams. “During the building process, each staff member had to adapt by teaching in at least two different spaces — sometimes they needed moving up to three times.”

Upgrades to the facility included a new security vestibule to help keep students, staff and faculty safe, a new gymnasium, a new cafeteria — formerly the combined gym and music room — a new HVAC system, upgraded classrooms and several other touches to improve the experience of attending school for students and district employees.

Williams said the new gym is already being utilized for middle school volleyball, which helps improve the school experience for students from other campuses within ESD.

“Our building is not just a school, but a vibrant hub for our community,” Williams said.

ESD Superintendent Tim Payne said he was excited about the official opening of the campus, but the focus isn’t on the building, but rather, the people.

“You know, buildings are important,” he said. “The things in the building are a little more important than the building itself, and the people in the building are more important than things and the building itself.”

Payne acknowledged the challenges of remodeling, not just as a construction project but also with the added challenges of the pandemic. Those issues made it more difficult, but he was proud of students and employees for seeing it all through.

“The kids and staff really persevered, and so, it’s great to see the staff and the kids be able to utilize this facility,” Payne said.

Ephrata School Board Director Josh Sainsbury thanked the community for showing up and supporting the district’s efforts to provide quality education in good facilities.

“As you can see, it’s a beautiful facility, and without all of you supporting our district, we wouldn’t have the Tiger pride,” Sainsbury said.

Long-time Columbia Ridge physical education teacher Carrie Wanke was chosen to cut the ribbon, made by students at the school. She said she’d initially been asked to shoot a basket but had “nixed that real quick.” She said that she had begun her time at Columbia Ridge in 1981 and it felt like a home to her and she was glad it was being taken care of.

“I’ve enjoyed being the P.E. teacher here,” Wanke said immediately before using giant scissors to cut the ribbon. “I’ve told people it was the best job in the whole world. I come back for stuff like this and this is my home. This is my place. This is my people, and I still love it.”

R. Hans “Rob” Miller may be reached at [email protected].