New changes to schools in the DeKalb school district will not only affect communities in the district, but NIU students as well.

The College of Education and the school district formed a partnership allowing students taking clinical experience to visit Wright Elementary School, 5068 Illinois Route 38, Malta. The school housed Malta High School until the district joined with DeKalb.

“It’s unique because the school district and the university will have the opportunity to develop the school from ground up,” said Paul Beilfuss, DeKalb schools superintendent. “It’s a start of a brand new school.”

Marci Ross, a senior education major, said she likes the idea of the partnership. She took clinical experience last semester and had to wake up around 5 a.m. every day for three weeks to visit Ridge Circle Elementary in Streamwood.

“I think it’ll be a lot easier for students because I had to drive an hour to get to the school,” Ross said. “It would have been a whole lot easier if it had been at DeKalb.”

The district reconfigured grade levels and building structure: Elementary schools will house kindergarten through fifth grade, middle schools 5th through 8th grade and high schools 9th through 12th.

Before these changes, kindergarten through fourth grades were put in elementary schools, 5th and 6th grades were put in middle schools and 9th through 12th were put in high school.

Along with rearranging grade levels, the schools also went under physical changes over summer.

Turner Construction was hired to coordinate the construction done to Chesebro Elementary, 900 E. Garden St., Clinton Rosette Middle, 650 N. First St., Huntley Middle, 21 S. Seventh St. and Wright Elementary school during the summer. The construction job was paid by tiff funds.

Les Shaw, director of buildings and grounds, said all the projects will be mostly done before school starts on Sept. 7. Minor completion of projects will be done after school so students and classrooms aren’t disturbed.

So far, Rafael Segarra, principal of Chesebro Elementary School, said he is pleased with the construction work done in Chesebro.

“I think that so far the work looks wonderful and it will allow our students the proper space for them to achieve the academic goals set by the state and the district,” he said.