Thanks to our school district voters, we are excited
to begin the planning process of four new school buildings. Phase 1 will be the
design and construction of two new buildings. A prekindergarten through first
grade building will be constructed at the current Walter Shade site and a
building to house 5th and 6th grade students will be
constructed at the current C. F. Holliday site.
The design process will include input from the
community, parents, students and staff. We know that new buildings can fit onto
current sites without displacing students and the exterior look of the schools
is important to the neighborhood where they will be. Playgrounds, parking and
traffic patterns are also components of the exterior planning process. Interior
designs for each school will focus on students and providing optimal learning
environments. Safety and security for students and staff will be part of the
design.
We have already received input from alumni and
community members who would like to see some of the history of our current
buildings be a part of the new schools. We welcome those ideas and look forward
to future community forums to discuss the design of the Phase 1 buildings. It
will take about two years of design and construction before the Phase 1
buildings are open, then we will begin Phase 2.
Phase 2 will be construction of a school housing
grades 2 through 4 and the construction of a 7th through 12th
grade campus. The grades 2 through 4 building will be at the same site as the
prekindergarten through first grade building. The 7th through 12th
grade campus will be at the current High School site. The campus will be one
building, but Middle School and High School students will be house separately. Community
input will again be a vital part of the design process for Phase 2 as we work
together to determine what the buildings will look like and what works best for
students.