Planning underway for new West Ottawa elementary school
HOLLAND TWP. — With construction but to commence and redistricting conclusions to be made, there is nevertheless a whole lot to be determined for West Ottawa Community School’s new elementary college that was involved in the productive 2019 bond.
The district is preparing to start internet site perform for the constructing later this year and participating the community for input on how the university will alter recent in-district boundaries and plans.
A person thing that has been decided, although, is the identify of the school — Riley Farms Elementary. The name is a nod to the planned area of the college — on 120th Avenue involving James St. and Riley St. — and the land’s previous use.
“It’s on a property that has been a functioning, working farm for a variety of several years,” WOPS Superintendent Tim Bearden explained. “There’s Riley Ridge subdivision proper there, Riley (Road) is on the north side. We resolved to go with Riley Farms to connect to the house and the home and its supposed use for all these a long time.”
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A key query remaining for WOPS in the course of action is figuring out how Riley Farms suits into and improvements the latest district alignment. Conversations include whether to make Riley Farms the ninth elementary in the district, or to have it substitute a single of the eight existing elementary scho and repurpose a further creating.
One particular possibility, Bearden stated, would be transitioning a recent elementary building into an early childhood center.
“We could repurpose an elementary as an early childhood center and open Riley Farms as our new eighth elementary,” he reported. “Or, do we open it as a ninth elementary in the district, and if so, what does that mean for the district? To make it monetarily sustainable, we have to be assured of attracting a reasonable range of new students to the district. We haven’t manufactured some of those decisions still.”
As aspect of answering those questions, the district has been assembly with various groups to assemble enter. Bearden claimed administration will satisfy with elementary school parent-teacher corporation boards up coming week.
The adhering to week, Tuesday, May well 10, the district will host an open up forum for the complete school neighborhood to focus on the redistricting system. It will be held at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at Harbor Lights Middle University.
Main parts WOPS is seeking for input are how to provide the early childhood demands of the are and how the local community feels about specialised systems this sort of as Spanish immersion and Montessori schooling.
Bearden claimed the district has set a goal of January 2024 for obtaining elementary options finalized and shared with the community, nine months ahead of the opening of Riley Farms.
The initial web page work on the house is anticipated to commence possibly late summer time or early drop, Bearden said. He extra there will be “significant work” to do on the web-site, as the building will be set deep on the assets.
Building will also contain creating a bridge over a compact creek close to the front of the property. The building is at present envisioned to be done in time for the 2024-25 school calendar year.
Bearden observed the developing is currently being intended in a way that lends to out of doors, experiential learning.
“We’re seriously enthusiastic about the design,” he reported. “I assume it is genuinely flexible, adaptable and it blends properly into the organic landscape of the property.”
— Get in touch with reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected]. Adhere to him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.
