The squat, red-brick 1960s style of Mockingbird Elementary School has been transformed into a modern facility built to withstand time, severe weather and emergencies.
Mockingbird Elementary has been transformed into a modern facility due to work funded by a bond issue. Originally built in 1964, the old building was demolished this summer after construction on the new school, shown here, finished next door.
The new elementary school is just one of the newly completed construction projects for the Ralston Public Schools. The district is finishing an $83.75 million bond issue to address much-needed changes at eight district buildings.
It had been more than 50 years since Ralston, a community of more than 6,500 in the middle of the Omaha metro, built a new school, and almost 20 years since the last building renovation. The district’s student population has been stable in recent years — growing from around 3,100 students to roughly 3,400 students in the past decade.
District officials say the changes …