GEORGETOWN, Del. - Howard T. Ennis has moved to a new location that is providing more space for students and teachers.
The project was inspired by former principal Kristina Perfetti, who passed away due to health complications. Kristin Firle, a paraeducator at the school, brought up the idea of expanding in 2015.
"I said 'Kris, we need a bigger space. This building is too small for us. What do I do, what are my next steps?'" said Firle. "I gathered the staff one afternoon and we hammered down a few different ideas."
Eight years later, the Howard T. Ennis School is a visible part of the district across from Sussex Central High School, where it continues to shape the futures of motivated students. The new school includes new additions like a handicap-accessible playground, which principal Melissa Kansak says students have been enjoying.
"You can see kids in the hallways playing and using the smart boards. There's furniture in the hallways, too, that you can see them grouped on, having social experiences," Kansak said.
Wendy Breedlove, a preschool teacher for students with autism, has been teaching at Howard T. Ennis in the autism program for nine years. She told WRDE's Cody Decker that she was nervous about adjusting to a new building because of the challenge it could have caused for her students.
"Kids, especially kids with autism, are very routine and they need predictability and I mean, this rocked our world," Breedlove said. "All they knew was the other building, so when we came to school that first day, I didn't know what to expect." Now, Breedlove says the transition into the new school was smooth.
Parents were able to see the entire building for the first time on Jan. 12 during parent-teacher conferences. Progress is ongoing for some projects in the school, especially those for older students.