Old Waukee Elementary School to Reopen With Improvements for the 2013-14 School Year

Editor's Note: This story originally ran on Friday but we are featuring it again for our weekend readers.

If all goes as planned tomorrow night, Waukee could grow to a 12-school district in 2013.

At Monday night's meeting of the Waukee school board, members will vote to approve a schematic design for an overhaul of the old Waukee Elementary School at 400 Locust St. in downtown Waukee.

The plans call for the demolition of a single-story addition and a remodel of the original three-story building built in 1917.

Dave Wilkerson, superintendent of the Waukee schools, said the renovation comes at a time when the district needs more space to accommodate an ever-growing student population, especially at the elementary school level.

"At the rate we're growing, we know we're going to need another full elementary by 2016," he said. "We've been shopping for land and trying to decide where that elementary might be located but when we're growing by 300 elementary students a year, those buildings are filling up every two years."

The district's most recent numbers show a sharp increase in Waukee's student population during the 2012-13 school year. Currently, more than 4,000 students are being housed in Waukee's six elementary schools - , , , , and .

With plans for a seventh elementary school - - to open for the 2013-14 school year, some of the congestion in Maple Grove and Brookview Elementary schools will be alleviated. Improvements to the old Waukee Elementary school could provide relief for students in both Waukee and Eason Elementary schools where 1,360 students are currently being taught.

The design calls for the initial demolition of the single-story addition that has, over the years, fallen into disrepair. Added and updated in 1957, 1974, and last in 1987, the addition is too far gone to simply repair and replace, said Wilkerson.

"When we closed the building (in 2010), the main reason was because the single-story piece was going to cost so much to repair and maintain the HVAC system that was already starting to fail," he said. "They were estimating $4-6 million just to replace it. We knew the three-story was in good condition."

Plans for the 1917 building include new windows, lockers, an elevator and upgrades to the heating and cooling system. Once redone, the building could house 250 additional students in 10 classrooms with more than 24,000 square feet of learning space.

Total cost for the project is about $2 million and is being paid for with Physical Plant and Equipment Levy money, tax dollars set aside to specifically repair and remodel schools in the district. No additional money is needed for the project.

Wilkerson said he spoke with residents and businesses in the area of the building this week and the response to the plans has been optimistic.

"We made fliers and walked the neighborhood Wednesday evening talking to people about the plans," he said. "Everyone seemed pleased and eager to see the site improved."

Once the schematic plans are approved, some additonal changes will be made before the district puts the project out to bid. Demolition and construction could begin as soon as this winter with a projected open date as the start of the 2013-14 school year.