HOBART | Magical.

That's the first word that came to math teacher Lauren Swafford's mind after taking her first tour of the new Hobart High School.

"Whether you're a student or a teacher, you can't deny the pride you feel when you walk in the halls," Swafford, a teacher at Hobart for the past eight years, said.

Even the school's most-tenured educators are enthusiastic about moving in and getting ready for students' first day in the building on Jan. 5.

"I'm so excited. Everything is wonderful," speech teacher Shirley Mumaugh said. "We have so many new toys to play with."

With her Hobart Brickies afghan hanging from a wall near her dry-erase board, Mumaugh, a teacher at the school for more than 30 years, said she's ready to make her new space at 10th and Union streets feel like home.

"I haven't moved all my toys in yet, but I'll get there," she said.

School Board member Bob Marszalek said even though many walls are bare, there's something special about the building.

"It does feel like a home," he said. "It doesn't have that institutional feel to it."

Anthony Gomez, the school's senior class president, said there's excitement building in the halls of the current high school, as well.

"The anticipation to get into this building has been increasing as the days get closer and closer," Gomez said.

Alumni also shared in the excitement Sunday afternoon. Jim Moody, a 1956 graduate and member of the feasibility committee that issued a recommendation to build a new high school complex, said it's the community's dream come true.

"I've been in this building three times before today and each time, I get goosebumps and I say this is absolutely stunning," he said.

Mayor Brian Snedecor was working as a resource officer in the schools when the idea to build was proposed. A member of the feasibility team, he said the new facility is a boon to the city.

"It changes the whole perception when people come into our community," he said. "It says a lot about our commitment and what we want to offer our children and for future generations."

John Hevel, a retired educator and a member of the feasibility committee, said while there may be things people will miss about the old high school and its facilities, the new school's amenities will make up for it.

"When you come to that first game at The Brickyard, you're going to miss that train - but there's going to be plenty of parking," he said.