PEORIA, Ill. – The ribbon was cut on the new home for alternative programs at Peoria Public Schools.
School and community leaders celebrated the opening of the Glen Barton School on Wednesday morning, named after the late former Caterpillar executive. The building is the former Quest Charter Academy, which was closed last year by PPS.
PPS Board President Doctor Gregory Wilson says was a “beacon of hope” for students in Peoria.
“He’s put his resources into these students, he’s seen what these students go through, and he wanted to make a difference,” Wilson said.
Wilson recalls how Barton would take his time to help inside the school buildings, which included installing lighting fixtures and painting.
The building will be the new home of the district’s PAT Academy, Rise Academy, and Day Treatment Program. Previously, those programs had to share spaces with other district buildings. Glen Barton Principal Bridget Carstensen says they now have a place to call their own.
“Being able to use a whole facility and all of the places within the facility without having to work around another school’s schedule or programs or teachers or volleyball practice, it’s really been beneficial,” Carstensen said.
Carstensen says the students have reacted well to the new building, with some even placing notes on the school’s walls telling how much they enjoy their new home.
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