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

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • DLR Group Announces New Mid-Atlantic Higher Education Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has promoted Principal Shawn Gaither, AIA, LEED AP, to the role of higher education leader in the Mid-Atlantic, according to a news release. Gaither has served with the firm for more than 20 years, most recently as the national higher education business development leader.