West Chester district plans to renovate elementary schools

After five years of building or renovating its high schools and middle schools, the West Chester Area School District now wants to upgrade its elementary schools.

The district has announced a tentative timeline for upgrades to its 10 elementary schools, with no specifics set on the cost or scope of renovations, or the number of schools selected for facelifts.

The district will gather data this summer for an elementary school facilities plan, with informational meetings with staff, parents, and community members set for when school starts back up in August and September.

The school board will hold public hearings with the administration during the fall, according to the timeline, with a final plan approved by November. The district hopes to break ground on the first renovations by June 2010.

West Chester started rebuilding and expanding its high schools in 2003, with renovations to Henderson and East High Schools, and the construction of Bayard Rustin High School. Renovations to two of the district's three middle schools have also been completed; work at Fugett Middle School is slated to be done by the end of next summer.

For more information, including the timeline, visit wcasd.net.

   Will Hobson