Duval Elementary School is in danger of closing if its students do not improve their FCAT scores.
To help raise the spirit and the school’s D rating from the department of education, UF students are giving this elementary school a facelift Feb. 25 through 27.
This year’s Project Makeover team, a UF student-run service organization dedicated to improving local low-income schools, will renovate the entire school by painting large murals on the walls and adding different landscapes to the play areas.
The goal is to raise $5,000, and they’ve already raised $4,000, said Sara Stout, the project’s executive director.
To reach the goal, there will be a Project Makeover kickball tournament Feb. 12, and the organization will be accepting open donations until the actual dates of the project, Stout said.
The team plans to paint large science murals on the blank walls of the school to help prepare students for the science section of the FCAT.
One of the biggest renovations will be to the outdoor area of the school, Stout said.
Currently, the school’s outdoor areas are plain and have little landscaping.
“Our goal is to create an outdoor area for students to have class in the shade,” she said.
The Project Makeover team will install three heavy-duty picnic tables in the yard of the school, along with trees for shade.
Stout said the project helps show elementary students that the university and the community support them and want them to succeed.
“When we beautify the students’ school, it is much easier for them to be motivated and excited about learning,” Stout said.
