West County Elementary Nears Completion of $8.4M Expansion
The new entrance is bright and welcoming. Photo by Dan Schunks
An $8.4 million expansion project at West County Elementary is nearing completion. The addition to the elementary facility, first opened in 1977 and expanded in 1993, will include new fourth-grade classrooms, now in use, and new third-grade classrooms, which will also serve as the FEMA storm shelter area, still under construction. A new gymnasium with a large stage for events and bleacher seating for 400 is still under construction and should be open to the public by Family Night, usually held in March, although it is hoped that Christmas programs may be held there, as well as new restrooms throughout the building.
The most visible aspect of the project is the new entrance to the elementary, which is on the northwest corner of the building, facing M highway as you travel towards the school. The new foyer replaces the old entrance, which was located in the rear of the building and was never intended to be a main entrance. It had been a connecting entrance to the 1938 facility when the elementary school was first constructed. An added improvement is expanded parking available and a new bus loading area for safer student traffic on and off.
While limited construction is still ongoing, the major distractions of jackhammers breaking rock and other construction-site sounds have largely decreased. Principal Steve Voyles described the distractions and praised the teachers, “Last year was tough going through. We had a rock hammer going all school year. You didn’t just hear it, you felt it, and it went all year. What our teachers were able to do during the constant sounds, the level of education they provided, and the way the students performed during that, it really, really said a lot.”
Superintendent Levi Rawson explained the future use of the oldest building at the elementary site, the 1938 Frankclay building. “We’re going to use the old gym for community use. Pre-K will use it when they can’t go outside. So, they have a place to kind of move around during the day and exercise. Our plan next year is to have two preschool classrooms to offer full-day preschool, which is in great demand. I know a lot of people were worried we were going to tear it all down. That’s not the plan. We’re going to use the gym and then try to use some of those classrooms in that other part for storage just because we don’t have a lot of storage buildings.”
An additional improvement for the district is the sidewalk that runs from the elementary school to the city limits of Leadwood, providing a safe walking area for pedestrians past the Middle and High School. The sidewalk was constructed with a state TAP grant received by the County Commission. Rawson expressed his appreciation for the project, “Really appreciate the County Commission fighting for that and doing that. It turned out really nice, and we managed to see people on it all the time.”
The buildings are brightly lit and provide a welcoming learning environment for their students. Principal Voyles shared the reaction he heard from students and parents when they saw the improvements for the first time. “Kids and parents walked in, I was at the front door, they would walk in and go ‘Wow!’ And when they walked out, I would hear comments like ‘I feel like I’ve been in the mall.’”
Superintendent Rawson commented on the support of the patrons of the West County School District that made the new additions and improvements possible. “We definitely couldn’t do this without community support. That’s for sure. They’ve definitely shown up and supported us every time we’ve asked.”
The West County district has made impressive progress over the past 20 years to make its facilities second to none and to place its students in a positive learning environment and a position for success.
Dan Schuncks is a Daily Journal and Farmington Press Staff Writer. He can be reached at dschunks@dailyjournalonline.com
