Some younger students in Merrill will have to wait an extra week to see their friends at school. Head Start and early childhood students will attend class in the old Pine River Elementary school building, but renovations aren't done yet.
September 11th is the new first day, and when they come back to school, they'll have remodeled bathrooms, playgrounds, and storage space to greet them.
Because of declining enrollment, the Board of Education decided to downsize. That meant Pine River would be converted from an elementary school to head start/early childhood.
Since that means younger children, the remodeling includes lowering shelves and updating bathrooms. They will also enjoy a gym and kitchen, which they previously didn't have.
"They're going to love it," says Head Start teacher Nicki Tavs. "It's going to be paradise at first and I think it's really going to be a nice change for them."
Teachers say safety was the first priority with the remodeling as well as creating an early childhood environment.
Pine River just celebrated it's 51st anniversary as a school. Around 60 students will attend this year.
