New elementary school concepts revealed to planning committee

Sydney Booth, Editor-in-chief|March 20, 2018

The Long Range Facilities Planning Committee met on February 21 at EES to discuss new schemes and concepts for a new K-5 elementary school, which will likely be built just east of CR 39, south of Eaton Commons. After reviewing the designs for middle school and high school, RB&B revealed two 3-D designs for the new K-5 elementary, one of which included a bus barn and another that included a preschool on the same lot. The district has not yet bought the land, but is in the process of analyzing soil samples and conducting a traffic study to determine the best points of entry and exit to the building design. Many community members were concerned about the traffic on CR 39 and how it could interfere with pick-up and drop-off times and student safety.

Provided that the bond issue is passed, RB&B plans to start construction on at least one building in the summer of 2019. However, according to RB&B presenter Derek Young, construction on a design usually takes about nine months.

New concepts for a new school

This design features an elementary school with virtually the same floor plan as BEES. Young noted that the final designs need to work to conserve pace for playground and sport field space. The transportation facility features open hangars for school buses, and will be expanded according to the number of busses in the district. The roads leading in and out of the grounds are open for redesign, pending the results of a traffic study.

 

This design features a two-story floor plan, which Young said will make heating and cooling systems more affordable because the building will have a smaller footprint. The possibility of a new preschool will be decided in the near future, but as the town continues to grow due to the subdivisions being built, it will eventually be necessary to expand the current preschool or build another one.