The new school year has opened with a celebration at Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf. Monday the private school held a ribbon cutting to mark the completion of its new building for science classes, and apartments and rooms for faculty and students.
Headmaster Max Roach says the 30,000 square foot, three-story addition was completed in just six months.
"The facilities further our ability to provide our students with state-of-the-art science, technology, digital arts, engineering, and mathematics courses. We now have a facility worthy of our high functioning students who test, on average, one to two grades ahead of their peers."
The addition also provides living space for up to 50 students.
"Young scholars travel from all over the world to help Rivermont, and in return they help us provide a truly global college preparatory experience for Quad Citizens."
Besides the Quad Cities and the US, students at Rivermont come from the Republic of Congo, Vietnam, Morocco, China, Dominica, and Jamaica.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is scheduled to tour the new building on Wednesday.
