Coupeville School Board meetings took a modern turn Monday night as the board met in its new meeting room.

It was the first meeting by the board in a more spacious, renovated, former classroom that is located next to the school district office on the middle school/high school campus.

For more than 20 years, the board meetings had been set up, conducted, then torn down inside the elementary school library.

“I think it’s going to be a beautiful meeting place,” said board member Christie Sears.

“I want to make it clear that we don’t just consider it a board room. It’s a meeting space for everyone.”

The new site, in room A-305, also will be used for professional development, said Jim Shank, the school district’s superintendent.

The proximity to the district office and middle/high school made sense, but the biggest benefit is the size, Shank said.

“It’s nice to have a room large enough to be able to host meetings like this without posts in the middle of the room that get in the way of projection and things,” Shank said. “We’re excited. We think it turned out really nice.

“This is a good turnout tonight. We would have struggled over at the elementary school.”

“It’s beautiful actually,” said Julie Hunt, administrative assistant with the school district.

With new paint and new carpet, the room was part of a plan that was a long time in coming, Hunt said.

“We really wanted to have a permanent space rather than the library,” she said. “We were always having to set it up and tear it down each month. Now we have a room just dedicated to the school board. We just felt they deserved that.”

The timing was fitting. January is School Board Appreciation Month in the United States, Shank said.

Sears said she sees the room also as an ideal meeting site for teachers and other groups such as the Community Foundation for Coupeville Public Schools. She also commended the work of school district’s maintenance employees for the finished product.

“I think it’s great for our whole school community,” she said.

It was the first meeting by the board in a more spacious, renovated, former classroom that is located next to the school district office on the middle school/high school campus.

For more than 20 years, the board meetings had been set up, conducted, then torn down inside the elementary school library.

“I think it’s going to be a beautiful meeting place,” said board member Christie Sears.

“I want to make it clear that we don’t just consider it a board room. It’s a meeting space for everyone.”

The new site, in room A-305, also will be used for professional development, said Jim Shank, the school district’s superintendent.

The proximity to the district office and middle/high school made sense, but the biggest benefit is the size, Shank said.

“It’s nice to have a room large enough to be able to host meetings like this without posts in the middle of the room that get in the way of projection and things,” Shank said. “We’re excited. We think it turned out really nice.

“This is a good turnout tonight. We would have struggled over at the elementary school.”

“It’s beautiful actually,” said Julie Hunt, administrative assistant with the school district.

With new paint and new carpet, the room was part of a plan that was a long time in coming, Hunt said.

“We really wanted to have a permanent space rather than the library,” she said. “We were always having to set it up and tear it down each month. Now we have a room just dedicated to the school board. We just felt they deserved that.”

The timing was fitting. January is School Board Appreciation Month in the United States, Shank said.

Sears said she sees the room also as an ideal meeting site for teachers and other groups such as the Community Foundation for Coupeville Public Schools. She also commended the work of school district’s maintenance employees for the finished product.

“I think it’s great for our whole school community,” she said.