Racine-area residents got a look at major upgrades to several Racine Unified School District schools ahead of the new school year Thursday.RUSD celebrated the completion of projects at four district schools, funded by a $1 billi on referendum passed by just a handful of votes in 2020"It makes me very proud knowing that there are people in our community who do want to see children do better in life," London Hadley, a Case High School senior, said. Ribbon-cuttings were held at Case High School, Gifford K-8 School, Wadewitz Elementary, and Goodland Montessory on Thursday.At Case High School, improvements include an entire new wing of classrooms and offices where there once was a pool. The school also received upgrades to its culinary, health sciences and weight room, technical education lab, and science classrooms in a project estimated to cost $36 million.Watch TMJ4 reporter Lauren Sklba's story in the video below: Students, community celebrate facility upgrades at Racine Unified schools funded by 2020 referendumThe tour was an emotional experience for Sandra Strini, who once taught and coached at Case High School."I wanted to cry when I saw what happened to the pool," Strini said.And while the changes were a lot to process, Strini welcomed the improvements and modernization to learning environments for current and future students. "Just amazing facility and upgrade of all the technology that's out there now compared to the 80s and 90s," Strini said.For current Case students, the changes come as they prepare for a new school year."It makes you feel like you belong here when you see how much effort and work goes into it," said Case Junior Abby Palmer.Palmer said she will benefit from upgrades to classrooms that specifically apply to her academic pathway. "We're getting put into real-life looking scenarios," Palmer said.She believes the improved learning environment will help her succeed beyond the walls of Case High School, a sentiment Strini agreed with."It's just amazing how the school has grown in terms of the facility and the opportunities that it now presents to all the students that attend here," Strini said.All RUSD schools are slated for or have already received improvements under the district's long-term facilities plan.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less