More than 100 local officials, citizens and elementary school students gathered at Rochester Memorial School this afternoon to cut the ribbon on the school's expansion and renovation.

"We built what we said we were going to build. And we built it on time and under budget," pronouced Building Committee Chair Arnold Johnson. Budgeted at $26.5 million, officials estimate that, when all costs are finally tallied, the total spent will be under $26 million.

What the town got for that money is a 21st century learning environment that can accommodate more students (up to 680) and new teaching techniques. The library is equipped with a bank of computers, adjacent to a stand-alone computer room. All classrooms have interactive "white boards."

Principal Jay Ryan noted that mobile technology carts can deliver laptops, iPods and iPads to any classroom.

There are larger "double" classrooms for team-taught classes.Triangular desks promote small group work and can be configured in a variety of ways.

There's lots of natural light and walls of vivid color. "Leap frog green" in some rooms is followed by a vivid purple in others.

After the speeches were done in the "cafetorium" (part cafeteria, part auditorium), and after Johnson and a small group of students used a giant pair of scissors to cut the ceremonial ribbon, student tour guides gave visitors a first-hand view of the school.

Fifth grader Mara Flynn proudly gave one group, including Old Rochester Regional Superintendent Doug White, a tour of her homeroom and an explanation of the class' "word of the day" project.

The science room had geckos and cockroaches (behind glass) and an aquarium.

In the music room, a well-windowed corner room, instrumental teacher Chris Williamson pointed out the features: climate-controlled to protect instruments, specially paneled for acoustics. She previously conducted her lessons in a corridor of the old, crowded school. Now, she says, she feels like she has "died and gone to heaven."

In brief remarks at the beginning of the afternoon program, speaker after speaker thanked voters for approving a Proposition 2 1/2 "debt exclusion" to help finance the project, the state for its 59% grant contribution, contractor Gilbane for cooperation and quality work, and staff and students for flexibility during the year-and-a-half construction project.

Rochester School Committee Chair Tina Rood took it one step further by pointing out that the project was an important lesson in "modeling" behavior. She said students saw -- and learned -- gratitude by seeing the staff provide monthly breakfasts for construction works, and by writing thank-you notes to those workers. They learned cooperation from everyone's cheeful flexibility during the process. And they learned first-hand "the importance of education to the people of this community."

Taking a brief break from the overall celebratory tone of the day, Arnold spoke of two members of the Building Committee, first convened eight years ago, who did not live to see the fruits of their labors. The late Steven Shiraka and Dan McGaffey are honored with stone benches in the school's courtyard.