By Bill Brady
Bert and Ernie no longer have a place at Falcon Heights Elementary School.
No, not that Bert and Ernie. We’re talking about two humongous boilers that once provided heat to the school on Garden Avenue.
At one time, school staff bestowed on them those affectionate nicknames.
But now those boilers have joined Oscar the Grouch in the trash bin, replaced with a new chiller and other state-of-the-art climate control equipment as part of a two-year capital expenditure project reshaping the physical plant at Falcon Heights Elementary School.
“I think we’ll name it Chilly,” joked Principal Beth Behnke as she sat in her office surrounded by cones and construction equipment on the last day of July.
This is the second straight summer that students and books have given way to hard hats and jackhammers at Falcon Heights. Phase one in 2023 focused on classrooms, which were remodeled in time for the students’ return last fall.
This summer’s second phase—besides the aforementioned HVAC overhaul—includes a new gym floor and an updated kitchen that will catapult the lunchroom “from the 1950s to 2024,” as Behnke put it. “I think it’s about time. We’re very excited about it.”
That means a new cafeteria floor and all new appliances, most notably an industrial dishwasher that will allow for the use of real dishes and cutlery again instead of the disposables they were forced to use for decades.
LED lighting is also being installed throughout the school, promising a “nice and fresh and bright” ambience in the building, Behnke said.
Due to construction work proceeding until the last possible minute, a traditional meet-and-greet for parents in late August has been scratched in favor of a Back-to-School picnic on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Organized by the PTA and school staff, the picnic will feature visits by the local police and fire department along with games, food and socializing on the school playground, weather permitting.
“We tried this last year and it was hugely successful,” Behnke said. “It might become a new tradition.”
Enrollment for the new school year is about 450 students, which is fairly consistent with the past 12 years of Behnke’s tenure as principal, excluding the COVID years.
Kindergarten through third grades are divided into three sections of about 24 students each, while fourth through sixth grades are two sections of 30 students apiece. The teaching staff numbers 27, including special educators.
Bill Brady is copy editor and writer for the Park Bugle. He lives in Falcon Heights.
Photo Credit: Falcon Heights Elementary School Principal Beth Behnke started many mornings this summer meeting with construction crews as she oversaw the completion of a two-year remodeling project. Photo by Bill Brady.
