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Denali & Nordale schools main page.
   There will be a school bond election on Tuesday, October 8, 2002 in Fairbanks, Alaska.
3 propositions will be on the ballot: (Update: This election has now come and gone.)

   Denali Elementary was built in 1951 and Nordale Elementary was built in 1953. They are both good strong and well maintained schools but they are not as modern as a brand new school would be. They do not have the latest ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) amenities. They are not up to the latest building codes, but are grand fathered to operate with the previous codes. This is a normal practice with many older buildings, as codes tend to change on a periodic basis and apply mainly to newly built buildings.
   These schools have nothing to do with the Fairbanks Coal Bunkers, but I have temporarily added some pictures of these 2 schools to this website because of the impending Oct 8 election.
   I personally hope that these 2 older schools can be saved since they have a proud tradition and are functioning well.  
Here are some other websites that have information about Nordale school:

Official website of Nordale School

Interior Taxpayers Association (political)
   Update: The Oct. 8, 02 election has come and gone. This Nordale and Denali school web page was added to this Fairbanks Coal Bunkers website on Oct. 6, 2002, and will be retained here for a while longer.
   On Oct. 8, all 3 of the school bond ballot propositions passed with a majority of the "yes" votes.

   Proposition 2 called for the destruction of Nordale Elementary School and for the building of a new school nearby on the same site. Proposition 2 calls for the expenditure of 15 million dollars of the public's money to replace Nordale. The plan is to first build a new school nearby, while the students continue to learn at the original Nordale. When the new building is completed, the order would be given to destroy the original historic Nordale school building.
   Proposition 2 barely passed. 51% voted "yes" and 49% voted "no".
I attended Nordale in 1961 for the first grade, and will be sorry to see the demolition of this school.

   The structure of Nordale school is a little bit better than that of Denali. Nordale has more steel rebar in the solid poured concrete exterior walls than what Denali has. Concrete gets stronger as it gets older, so Nordale is as strong today, if not stronger, as when it was built in 1953.
   Nordale is not an ornate building, but it has a distinctive architectural style with its daylight basement, and strong concrete exterior walls. It is nice to come across a building with historical character.
   When tourists come to town, they like to see Fairbanks history. Driving through town can help describe the story and character of a community.
   For instance, if one was to drive from City Hall (originally Main School - 1934), and then past Nordale, and then over to to Tanana Middle School on Trainor Gate Road, one would experience a trip through 3 different eras of educational architecture. This is interesting.
   Yet the inside of a historic building can be fitted with modern telecommunication wiring and any other desired amenities. This is the case with Nordale, due to a 1996 bond election that authorized a wiring upgrade for computers.

                                                                                                                                  Randy Griffin