Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Kan. District Debuts New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/03/21

The Spring Hill School District in Spring Hill, Kan., is set to open its newest elementary school in time for the coming school year. Dayton Creek Elementary School is projected to welcome an inaugural group of 200 students. District officials say that Spring Hill is one of the most rapidly expanding districts in the state, and the goal of the new facility is to keep up with the growing student population.

“All of our elementary buildings have a maximum capacity of around 500 students,” said Christopher Villarreal, director of communications and education engagement for USD 230. “None of them are quite to that number yet. We are trying to stay ahead of the growth curve, so that way, none of our buildings get over capacity and we can maintain a good student-to-teacher ratio in all of our buildings.”

Voters passed a bond issue in 2018 to fund the new school’s construction. The $21.5-million facility will serve students K–5 and feed into two middle schools; a third middle school is projected to open for the 2023–24 school year.

Darcy Sly, a former elementary school teacher of the year in the district, will serve as the new school’s principal. “Last year, our district added STEM to the curriculum,” she said. “Now we have a STEM class that all of our students—kindergarten through fifth grade—go to once a week. It’s a wonderful offering for them,” she said.

The new facility features a computer lab and flexible seating options for active learning opportunities. A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on July 29, and new students and their families are welcome to attend a “Back to School” night on Monday, Aug. 16.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.