September 27 and 28, 1997: Video stills of the north side of North Tama school, the weekend of a dedication ceremony for the addition with a multipurpose room (above), Iowa Communications Network room, and kindergarten.
The first of two substantial additions to the North Tama school complex since the baby boom was dedicated 20 years ago today.
In the mid-1990s, save for a new shop on the southeast corner, a recently constructed elevator, sloping roofs, and a change around the gym doors, the exterior looked nearly the same as it had since the mid-1960s. (The only giveaway to substantial renovations inside was a spot of slightly different colored bricks.) That changed in 1997, when a new multipurpose room and kindergarten were added on the north side.
A graduation-sized crowd turned out on Homecoming weekend for band and vocal performances along with a dedication ceremony in the MPR. The new entrance (tan overhang) and the green space in front, though, would only last about another decade.
All of the exterior you see in the frames above, except the side of the MPR abutting the parking strip, has been obscured from view by a giant addition to the front in 2009-10 that added a junior high commons, central office, varsity locker rooms, concession space, and vaulted ceilings (bleah). Speaking from experience, a sure-fire way to make you feel old is to have such a major change done to your school after you graduate.
