Monroe’s East Elementary unveils new building ahead of 1st day of class

MONROE, N.C. — There’s a lot excitement over a new building for East Elementary School in Monroe.

Rising fifth-grader Adriana Cortes and her family showed up for Wednesday’s celebration.

She said she is excited about the new playground. Her family members are just as excited about the new features.

“(It’s) definitely exciting to see her in the new school and be one of the first students to walk to halls,” said Alexandra Suastegui, his sister.

Voters approved a bond referendum that allowed the old building to be torn down for a new one.

Space was a major concern in 2022. There was only one pre-K classroom, and students were often wait-listed.

The new school now has five pre-K classrooms. Two are still waiting on licenses and will be part of NC Pre-K.

“Getting those kids, especially in the wake of post-COVID, getting more kids the opportunity for pre-K support before kindergarten is huge,” said principal Denny Ferguson.

Ferguson said all five classrooms should be ready when the school starts in less than two weeks.

He said they also brought in more resources to support its Health Sciences Academy.

It’s a partnership with Atrium Health, which gives students, including Cortes, early exposure to careers in healthcare.

Suastegui sister said that, and a dual language program has made the school a great fit for her.

“Definitely a lot of opportunities,” she said. “It has helped her expand both her English and Spanish and expand her health science career potentially which she really likes.”

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