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Failing School To Shine Bright On First Day Of Class In Fort Lauderdale

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- The doors don't open to students until next week, but there is already a lot of action behind the scenes at Walker Elementary School, one of 14 failing elementary schools in Broward which is undergoing a dramatic change as part of a state-mandated effort to fix low-performing campuses.

"We've brought in a brand new staff," said Assistant Principal Tauri Eligon.  "Everything has been done, from the chairs to the teachers' furniture, painting-- and it's like a brand new facility.  I think that's what the community needs, that's what the kids need, and it's going to be an amazing year."

Outside, artists were hard at work Thursday freshening up colorful murals, giving new life to the magnet performing arts school.

"Everybody has just jumped right in and put a lot of effort and energy, and it's exciting to see what can happen when everyone comes together and does their part," said muralist Jim Morse.

There is fresh paint on the walls and new furniture in the classrooms.  Uniforms and instruments for the only elementary school marching band in the county are waiting for their musicians.  Students will find 8,000 more books in the library than last year, along with nearly two dozen new computers.

"It was quite a mess," said Media Specialist Rosemarie Winston, about the library.  "The books were old, the shelving was terrible.  The ceiling lights were falling from the ceiling.  It was a dangerous place, and no child deserves to be in a place like that."

A group of kindergarten teachers was busy adding to the renovation effort, after spending money out of their own pockets to decorate and transform their classrooms into what they call a "magical haven for students."

"All the stuff that we had in the past was from the 60s, 70s; it was all old furniture," said teacher Paula Villarreal.  "Now we're going to have new furniture.  Plus, we're going to have a Promethean board, we're going to have a document camera, so we're going infuse the technology in our classrooms.  That was something we wanted to do."

Eligon said he is very excited to have a new team he hopes will create a highly engaged and collaborative learning experience for students through the arts.

"It truly brings joy to my face, my life, and I'm extremely happy to be here and start this charge to turn around a school that needs a lot of love," he said.

The doors open Monday, when the school year starts.

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