Tampa Heights Elementary School is set to reopen to students on January 4, 2021.

In September 2017, the school, which was known as Robert E. Lee Elementary at the time, burned down following Hurricane Irma.

Students have been housed in portables at Lockhart Elementary for the past three years while the school was rebuilt.

Superintendent Addison Davis toured the new school on Monday.

"When you walk through the front doors, you just feel enthusiasm. You feel rich history," he said.

Many elements of the original building have been preserved while modern touches have been added. Wooden floorboards from the old building have been turned into a wall, tiles have been salvaged for a new staircase, and some old bricks were used to rebuild the facade.

"There's this really nice dialogue between the new and the old that we wanted to create," said Marcel Maslowski of Fleischman Garcia Architecture.

Teachers are setting up their new classrooms, which are complete with the latest technology and supplies.

"We had teachers dancing up the stairs. We had teachers hugging on the wall because those are the floors from the original building, and we even had teachers that just broke down and cried when they walked in," said Wendy Harris, the school's principal.

She said for school staff it represents a fresh start.

"Even though they've been working around the clock to get everything ready, they just can't wait to do what's right for children because that's what we do at Tampa Heights, we do what's right for children."