More than three years after Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 pitched a multi-million-dollar renovation of Pocatello High School, the project is finally complete and ready to be unveiled to the public on Monday.

The newly renovated wing of the school has been described by those who’ve seen it as “really beautiful,” “spacious,” “bright” and “inviting” — adjectives that aren’t typically used to describe a century-old school building.

From its new outdoor courtyard and several new science classrooms to its window-rich catwalk between the buildings and its first-ever common gathering area for students, the high school is undeniably improved.

The upgrades have allowed the school’s science department to move out of its cramped classrooms that lacked the latest equipment and storage space into comfortably large rooms that are more conducive to safe learning.

Matt Taylor, head of the school’s science department, was influential in designing the layout of the addition based on need. Taylor said the school district relied on his and his science colleagues’ input for the project, and the finished product checks a lot of the boxes he had hoped it would.

“I was really excited when I found out this area would be used for science classrooms,” Taylor said. “Our classrooms that we’ve been using are really, really tight with limited sinks and storage, so this has just opened everything up and allowed for us to spread out and accommodate growth in the school.”

Taylor seemed proud of his department’s new classrooms, but he was also particularly enthusiastic about the new courtyard and the catwalk connector between the two buildings. He called the mountain views from the catwalk “phenomenal” and said the courtyard gives off a “park vibe.”

“This renovation is just a huge upgrade,” he said, adding that when the community gets to see the finished project on Monday he thinks the first thing people will notice is just how bright and spacious the space is.

The public is invited to a ribbon-cutting event on Monday hosted by the Pocatello Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce. The event will begin promptly at 4 p.m. followed by self-guided tours that will go until about 5:30 p.m.

Courtney Fisher, a School District 25 spokesperson, said Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 Board of Trustees Chairman Dave Mattson will deliver remarks ahead of the ribbon cutting. She also said school district staff and representatives will be on hand to answer any questions people might have.

While the project’s end result is one that’s received high praise, the road to get there was fraught with anticipated and unanticipated challenges.

The project faced controversy over the preservation of the school’s historic aesthetic and it faced supply and labor challenges brought on by a global pandemic. Despite its snags along the way, the remodel prevailed.

The first phase of the two-phase project was completed in November 2019 and involved constructing a new ADA-accessible entrance and remodeled administrative office spaces. The second phase, which was just recently finished, added classrooms and the indoor catwalk between the buildings.

School administrators had estimated a $10 million price tag for the project, but Fisher said she believes the final cost came in at just under $8 million.

Students haven’t been able to use the renovated area of the school yet, but they will gain access to it and begin learning in the new classrooms when they come back from winter break in January.

“We’re extraordinarily happy with it,” Fisher said of the project. “We’ve been waiting for this day to come that we could share it with the public. I think you can see from the street view how beautiful it is, so it’s going to be really exciting to show everyone.”