Tippit Middle School held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 25 following an extensive renovation. School Principal Alfonso Longoria held the scissors. [/caption] Officials with Georgetown ISD's Tippit Middle School celebrated the completion of extensive renovations with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 25, marking the end of projects funded through a 2015 bond referendum. Tippit, located at 1601 Leander Road, Georgetown, received a complete interior overhaul and now features open floor plans, large windows and flexible and collaborative learning spaces that officials said allow teachers and students to pivot away from traditional learning practices. Funding for the $26.1 million project was approved by voters in 2015 bond election. “This is a great time to be at Tippit Middle School,” Principal Alfonso Longoria said. Construction began spring 2016 to align the school with the district’s move toward creating learning areas that allow for teachers to utilize space as they see fit in an effort to help students become independent thinkers. In that, the school features learning pods, work areas and an open common space that allow students to work independently. Most classrooms are also fitted with moveable walls that allow teachers to create the environment that best works with their lesson plans. The school is now also under one roof. It previously had multiple buildings and portables. Carlos Cantu, Tippit's principal from 1993 to 2009, said safety was a great concern for him during his tenure. He said he was glad the renovations addressed that. “When I was here, we had seven different buildings, and safety was a major concern back then,” Cantu said. “It’s always great to have everything under one building.” Following the ribbon cutting, Tippit students took GISD administration and members of the community for tours. Ramona Wills, who attended Tippit in the early 2000s, said the school has little resemblance to when she was a student. She said her daughter will be attending Tippit in the fall. “I think it's better,” Wills said. “Especially for my child, who is not well-suited for sitting in a desk. She can thrive here.”