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Schools

Landscaping Renovation Marks New Beginning for Lakeview Elementary

Lakeview's Green Garden Committee and countless volunteers pulled apart, and then created a new face for an elementary school that's known for its view of Lake Marion.

On the afternoon of July 15, volunteers from the Lakeville area worked hard to pull up old, overgrown trees and shrubs and replace them with new, fresh ones that would better welcome visitors to .

And it wasn’t easy. Not only did the volunteers battle a heavy down pouring of rain that flooded the area, they also fought the heat and endured the muddy conditions brought on by excessive water.    

And although the hands-on and dirty final stage of the project lasted only three days—Thursday through Saturday—the renovation has been a work in progress for nearly three years.

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Lakeview third-grade teacher Mary Ann Laubach first had the idea for the renovation, when one day—while walking into school—she noticed the old and overgrown shrubbery needed to be replaced.

She then formed a group of ladies called the Green Garden Committee, which was committed to giving the school a new face. But the project needed funding, and the committee wasn’t able to rely on a school district that’s struggling with a near $16 million deficit.  

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So, to gather the funds needed to make a change, the committee started fundraising. They had a paper drive and sold plants and grocery bags to earn around $2,000, enough to start the project.  

After the money came in, four to six hours of planning was involved in the project, and the committee garnered the help of landscaping experts at Terra Garden Center and Friedges Landscaping to determine the best look for the front of the school. 

Eagle Scout candidate Jayden Milne, a Lakeville South sophomore and former Lakeview student, also helped organize the project. Milne recruited his family, his boy-scout troop, and numerous other volunteers from the Lakeville Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he attends. In all, more than 50 volunteers helped plan and landscape the school with over 360 hours of service.  

“Whenever an Eagle Scout does a project from that church they bring in a lot of volunteers,” Laubach said. “It’s incredible.”

And the timing of the renovation couldn’t have been better. Pete Otterson was starting the following Monday as the school’s new principal, which gave Laubach the motivation to have the project done over the weekend. But she was put at ease, however, when Otterson showed up early Saturday morning with his daughter ready to help. Otterson put aside his two-week vacation to work on the renovation.

“I love to get my hands dirty.” Otterson said. “As a principal I like to be a part of things that are going on.”

Otterson also got to meet some of the parents of students, build relationships with teachers and get to know some PTO members. He thinks it’s important to have good curb appeal and to create a sharper, cleaner environment for the kids. He also said he was impressed by the new renovation and the leadership of the staff in charge of the project.

For Laubach, she has never organized a project this big, but says she would do it again in the future. She says that it turned out even more incredible than she thought it would be, and she’s happy with Lakeview’s new look. The project also came in under budget.

“I’m really relieved and proud of how beautiful it looks,” Laubach said. “The school looks so much more inviting.”

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