Bloomington parents, children anticipate new school opening

Unless they've been avoiding their windows and backyards since last February, local residents of Bloomington's southwest side would've been surprised to see a new school being built, literally, in their backyard.\nHouses located off Tapp Road in Bloomington, range from a half mile to just 10 feet away from the construction site of the soon-to-be Summit Elementary at 1450 Countryside Ln. \nThe new school will replace Broadview Elementary, located at 705 W. Coolidge Dr. in Bloomington, next fall.\nResidents of the surrounding neighborhood and school officials are pleased with the new addition to the neighborhood.\nCurrent Broadview and future Summit Principal Doug Waltz noted the benefits the school will have on the neighborhood. \n"The new school will be the focal point of the surrounding community," Waltz said in an e-mail to the Indiana Daily Student. "I would hope it would become a warm, caring hub to a growing end of our community. We will do everything we can to be a good neighbor."\nSummit will provide a bigger building, nearly four times the size of Broadview, with more modern facilities and better technology for the community.\nBroadview, built in 1925, currently holds 304 students, with the school's cafeteria also serving as its gym. With an older construction previously scheduled during the 1990s, Summit's opening has been highly anticipated.\nDana Green, 40, who lives about a quarter of a mile northeast from the school's site said one of the reasons she moved to the neighborhood last May was because of the new school.\n"(My family) is excited and we're looking forward to (the school)," she said.\nHeavily involved in volunteering and current Parent Teacher Organization vice-president at Broadview, Green lives with her husband and two children, Devin and Griffin, both of whom currently attend Broadview. Both sons will attend Summit next fall. \nGreen is involved in various committees at Broadview and plans to do the same at Summit.\nEight-year-old Griffin Green, is excited about his new school. \n"It looks like a big school with a big gym," he said with a smile.\nFour houses down the road, husband and wife Katie and Andrew Logemann also share excitement for the new school.\nThe couple, both 23, have lived in the neighborhood since last June. \nKatie, a teacher, enjoyed the thought of a school so close to home. \n"I like the idea of having a school behind me instead of an apartment building," she said. "As long as my backyard seems clean, then it's no big deal."\nWith a new, rather large school -- 85,000 square feet to be exact -- being built so close to the quiet neighborhood, the question of possible changes to the community is bound to come up. \nThe Logemann's agree that loud noise levels and cleanliness are not foreseen problems.\nAlthough concerns are few, traffic problems are somewhat of an issue to Waltz and others in the neighborhood.\nBecause of the small visibility of surrounding hills and the heavy traffic off Tapp Road, increased congestion to the area could be dangerous, the families agree.\nWaltz suggested the possibility of a traffic light being installed in the future.\nDawn Crawford, 34, the Logemann's next door neighbor, is not worried about the school's consequences. Crawford, who has lived with her husband and two kids in the neighborhood since last July, said traffic at Broadview is much more of a problem. \n"Traffic here can't be as bad as it is at Broadview," she said.\nPrincipal Waltz agreed the traffic situation at Broadview is an inconvenience.\n"The traffic congestion coming into the new school will be much safer than our current pattern around Broadview," he said. \nCrawford's son, 6-year-old Elijah, will be attending Summit next fall. \n"The idea of my child going to a brand new school is exciting," she said. "I'm excited about the better opportunities for the kids."\nBroadview will close its doors at the end of this school year, with the building possibly serving as some type of community facility, Waltz said. Summit is set for completion on May 17 and to open at the start of the 2005-06 school year.\n-- Contact staff writer Danielle Gingerich at dgingeri@indiana.edu .