The main building, which included the administration office, library, computer labs and seven classrooms, was destroyed in the blaze. The new facility, which cost $7.2 million, added some design adjustments that students and teachers are excited about.

"We love it," said fourth-grade teacher Aine Garcia.

Her favorite aspect of the new building is the addition of observation decks that allow teachers to sit in on a class without being intrusive. It keeps distractions out of the classroom.

Garcia said that the observation rooms could also be used for other purposes as well.

"It's great to use for small groups," Garcia said. "We could run two teacher center groups without using the space in the classroom."

Gardner Academy was confronting persistently low test scores that lead to the transformation of the curriculum during the 2004-05 school year. The program is run by the San Jose Unified School District in order to meet state requirements.

Garcia also sees benefits to the layout inside the classroom. Instead of rows of seats getting progressively closer to the back of the room, they are spaced out across the length of the room.

"The kids are able to be closer to the front of the room," Garcia said.

Garcia's teaching partner, Sheila Brewer, is now able to share an office with Garcia and said the new building's design allows for better time management.

Brewer said, "It's bought time for us because we are able to work more productively."

The design has other advantages.

"For manipulative and hands-on science materials, this organization has made them approachable now," Brewer said. "We don't have to climb up on a ladder to get them. The designers really thought out the storage, usage and the layout of the classrooms."

Brewer also finds the observation rooms helpful for her collaborative teaching.

"I've actually gone in and observed my own students, and that's neat," Brewer said. "It's going to be a really nice feature, especially because you can see three classrooms at a time. Teachers can take time to observe the next grade up to know what's expected of our students next year."

Brewer said the observation decks offer a great space for tutoring small groups.

Other features that have been added to the new building include a staff room, a library, conference rooms and technological features. The new library houses an open area with seating and a LCD projector for screen shows, Power Point presentations and videos.

The school also has a room on the second floor for parent meetings and teacher-development workshops.

"Everything at the school changed after the fire," North Willow Glen resident Kevin Christman said, "but everything changed for the better."