Friday, January 20, 2012

Weeks before Wichita School board members will make a decision on the students who will roam the halls, they got a sneak preview of the work in progress.

"I love it. I can't imagine that a student here, in Wichita, wouldn't feel like this is what they mean when they say state-of-the-art," said Betty Arnold, president of USD 259 school board.

The new classrooms replace chalkboards with white boards and SMART boards. The building accommodates 800 students and is expandable to fit 1,200.

"There's certainly space for us to make some decisions about what we can do today, and there's certainly space for us to expand and serve the community the way we originally designed, in the future," said Lanora Nolan, school board member.

Although the facility remains under construction, board members were able to imagine the future of the schools.

"It's not just about now, it's about three years, five years from now. These facilities give us the flexibility to make decisions and to be able to adapt as our community changes," said Superintendent John Allison.

The community will also get a new elementary school in the Northeast quadrant. The building was modeled after Stucky Elementary and will have room to become a K-8 school.

Construction is set to finish by the summer and both schools are scheduled to open in the fall.

Both schools are part of the $370 million school bond issue passed in 2008.