Taylor Elementary debuts new school

Robert Scranton can't wait to begin kindergarten at Tiger School.

"It's not Taylor, it's Tiger School," Matt Scranton, Robert's father, stressed.

And the Taylor Tigers announced their presence with a roar Tuesday, opening the school's doors to the public for the first time since last summer's flood.

Taylor Elementary School took on more than 3 feet of water in June 2008, forcing the Cedar Rapids district to close the school's doors for one year. Last night's open house gave the Taylor community a look at the renovated facility, including motion-sensor sinks in the bathroom, motion-sensor lights in classrooms and a polyurethane gym floor.

"It looks really good," said Shane Hanson, who toured the school with his son, Devon. "They did an excellent job."

Devon, 11, spent his fourth-grade year at Cleveland Elementary School. Walking through Taylor, Devon said the school "looks better," but it's not the improvements that have him eager for the new school year.

It's seeing his friends.

"I missed them," he said.

Slightly more than 140 students have registered to attend Taylor for the 2009-10 school year. The school also will have 40 preschool students. Principal Brian Christoffersen said the open house will likely spark another enrollment wave.

Taylor's enrollment before the flood was about 250 students.

"It's just great to walk through the schools and see all the familiar faces again," said Cindy Reece, who worked as a paraeducator at Taylor from 2004 through 2008.

Alexandrea Wheeler's tour through Taylor was somewhat bittersweet. The 11-year-old will attend Roosevelt Middle School next year. A Taylor Tiger since kindergarten, the flood forced Alexandrea to spend her last year in elementary school at Van Buren Elementary School.

"I hated that I had to be away from my friends," Alexandrea said. "Taylor staff is just like a family to me, so it was like I was away from family and friends."

But many were back Tuesday, with still more pledging to return. As Reece wrote on the banner at the end of the tour: "There's no place like home."