The new Sandy Hook Elementary School opened to the general public for the first time Friday, containing no obvious memorials to the 26 people who died inside the old school nearly four years ago but created with them in mind.
The $50 million replacement for the school torn down after the December 2012 massacre was designed in a forest theme with the goal of being attractive, environmentally friendly, conducive to learning and, above all, safe.
Visitors will need to pass through a driveway gate, across a moat-like rain garden and past two police officers and a video monitoring system to get inside. Once there, they’ll find 86,000 square feet of art-filled space with three courtyards, lots of windows (all bulletproof) and indoor nooks designed to look like treehouses.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
