After 72 years, one of Central Oregon’s oldest schoolhouses received a $3.8 million overhaul over the past year. Nearly all of Amity Creek Magnet at Thompson School — everything but the kitchen, bathrooms and a closet — was updated.

But staff — who’ve returned to the remodeled building when it opened March 15 — appreciate that Bend-La Pine Schools preserved the K-5 school’s retro charm.

“I loved Amity before there were renovations — it was like an old house you can never really afford,” said first-grade teacher Amanda Bowers. “Now, it’s an old house that’s been renovated while maintaining the charm and historical features.”

But just as important to teachers were the new amenities: energy-efficient lighting and fans, student lockers rather than coat hangers, and fancy new projectors in every classroom.

Bowers said the technology upgrades in particular are useful.

“We were operating off of roller-cart projectors; it had to be in the middle of the room; it was ugly, cords were everywhere,” she said. “Now, we have these top of the line Apple TVs and projectors. I use it all the time.”

Principal Andy Slavin says this balance of classic and modern is what makes the Amity Creek renovation a success.

“The architects really preserved the feel of this building,” he said. “It just has that warmth that this school has always had.”

Amity Creek’s modern-classic look is easily apparent to anyone who walks through the school, located off Wall Street in the Old Bend neighborhood. In the same hallway as new light fixtures and flooring are patches of wood paneling preserved from 1949. It feels fresh, while not resembling the sleeker design of newer Bend elementary schools like North Star and Silver Rail.

The windows are another example of this balancing act. The original wooden frames were preserved and refinished, while the glass and hinges were replaced, Slavin said. Before the renovation, most classrooms only had one window that actually opened — now, they all do, he said.

The hallway is just as colorful and filled with student artwork as before. But the artwork isn’t attached to bulletin boards — the hallway walls are entirely wrapped in corkboard, providing much more space for drawings and doodles.

During the weekend before it opened, Amity Creek staff took their students’ art from North Star Elementary — where the school was temporarily based this winter during construction — and canvassed the hallway with it.

“It just felt homey, rather than have (students) walk into these empty hallways,” Slavin said.

There are also some Amity Creek upgrades that are less eye-catching. The roof is new, and the building has been reinforced with steel to better protect it from earthquakes, Slavin said.

Although construction crews were able to start work on Amity Creek earlier than planned, since there were no students in the building last spring due to COVID-19, the pandemic caused delays in the supply chain, Slavin said.

“When supplies weren’t here, subcontractors couldn’t do their work and went on to other things,” he said. “And they weren’t always available when supplies did arrive.”

These delays did not increase the cost of the renovation, according to Mike Tiller, director of facilities for Bend-La Pine.

The one group that might not be quite as enthusiastic about the remodel? Students.

Slavin said the school’s nearly 130 students have a range of feelings about the new Amity Creek. Younger students don’t really remember the pre-renovation building, while older students already feel nostalgia for their older digs.

“For some, it doesn’t feel like the old Amity building, so they’re mourning the loss,” Slavin said. “But at the same time, I think they’re enjoying the newness and freshness.”

But after more than a year of being outside Amity Creek, due to COVID-19 and construction, school staff said it was great to return back to a fresh update of their home.

“It’s beautiful, thoughtful, well-designed,” Bowers said. “I’m grateful.”