VIDALIA &045;&045; The brand new library at Vidalia Lower Elementary got its first real vote of approval Wednesday when second-grader Taylour Morales walked by.

&uot;That library is so pretty,&uot; Morales said as she halted the large group of family and friends entering the school with her and turned to explore the new room.

&uot;I know because I went here last year,&uot; she said. &uot;It looked like something that was nothing in here.&uot;

Reaction was similar across the district as schools held open houses before today’s first day of classes. Students noticed freshly painted doors first before realizing that the changes extended inside.

Vidalia Lower and Ferriday Lower have newly renovated libraries, and most other parish schools have new libraries and science labs.

Three weeks ago the rooms had no furniture, unfinished floors, holes in the ceilings and construction tools everywhere.

Now, they are all virtually complete, lacking just a few finishing touches. At Ferriday High School some furniture is still missing, air conditioner work is under way at Ferriday Upper Elementary and science labs at Vidalia Junior High need cabinet tops.

In the libraries, books are the on shelves &045;&045; though many aren’t in order &045;&045; and furniture is in place.

&uot;It’s just slowly coming together,&uot; Vidalia Lower Librarian Mel Reid said. &uot;It’s amazing, all the new furniture. I think we’ve come a long way, but there’s so much further to go.&uot;

Reid started working in her library last week to get books on shelves and organize things like she wanted. She still wants to create a reading corner and make sure furniture placements are right.

FLES Librarian Jane Dodd had nearly everything in order with some work still to do in the teacher resource room.

&uot;It seems to be bigger in here,&uot; Dodd said Wednesday. &uot;I just love the lighter color. The brighter color will stimulate young minds.&uot;

All the libraries received new shelving, circulation desks and table and chairs. Ceilings were redone, walls torn down and painted and floors replaced.

&uot;The old shelves were just too tall, darker and just old,&uot; Dodd said.

New science labs have taller desks for experiments, stools for easy movement, sinks and emergency eye washers and plenty of storage.

&uot;It’s some of the most beautiful school furniture I believe I’ve ever seen,&uot; Vidalia Upper science teacher Suzie Blanchard said.

&uot;The comprehensive curriculum requires us to do a lot of hands-on experiments. That’s really hard to do at a little desk.&uot;

VUES fifth-graders come to Blanchard for 55-minute science classes each day.

Science lab and library renovations across the district were something administrators wanted to do to increase academic opportunities.

&uot;With the age of new curriculum and new tests, our kids are going to be need more hands-on,&uot; Academic Affairs Director Fred Butcher said.

The renovations were paid for by the 13-mill property tax voters passed last year.