Dear Community Members,
By now, you have received several pieces of communication regarding the voter-approved 2007 SBISD Bond Plan that includes the rebuilding of Wilchester Elementary School. Last spring, Dr. Duncan Klussmann, SBISD Superintendent of Schools, formed a Wilchester Task Force made up of local residents, as well as Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS) and Wilchester Elementary School (WCE) representatives.
The purpose or “charge” of the Task Force was: “…to develop a recommendation to the Superintendent on how to proceed with the rebuilding of Wilchester Elementary School. The Wilchester Task Force is charged to work within the framework of the SBISD Bond Package and any recommendation to the Superintendent should demonstrate a high level of community support.” Since the beginning of May, the Wilchester Task Force has been hard at work to develop a plan to rebuild WCE that would be educationally sound and have the support of our community. We have reviewed 16 architectural plans by PBK Architects, the firm awarded the contract for the WCE project.
Each plan was discussed in detail, with the Task Force identifying pros and cons for each plan. Based on the extensive review conducted, the Task Force has reached unanimous agreement for a creative rebuilding plan that we believe best meets the needs of our community, our children and the school district. This plan involves keeping WCE on its current campus, as originally proposed and approved by SBISD voters as part of the 2007 SBISD Bond Plan .
Wilchester Task Force Proposed Recommendation for Rebuilding Wilchester Elementary School
- New, two-story Wilchester Elementary school constructed north of the current cafeteria, beginning in 2010, using land where the current track and bus circle are located
- Gym, constructed in 2004, retained as part of the new campus · Wilchester students remain in current school during construction
- At the conclusion of construction, current school would be demolished and a beautiful, large playground created with winding paths, trees, outdoor learning stations and a new track.
- Current library structure remains, but will be utilized for teacher in-services/staff offices/other.
The Task Force believes this plan represents a win-win solution for all parties – Wilchester Elementary will remain on its current site per the 2007 Bond plan, and, SBISD will save on construction costs due to an accelerated time frame for construction.
The Task Force also proposes the location of a temporary campus be on the south side of the WAIS (Westchester) campus to house Meadow Wood and Frostwood Elementaries as their new schools are rebuilt. This was included in the original bond plan, but since WCE will not need to use a temporary campus, Meadow Wood and Frostwood’s reconstruction timelines will be accelerated as well. We encourage you to attend a Community Meeting on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in the WAIS (Westchester Academy) auditorium, which is directly across from Wilchester Elementary on Yorkchester.
Due to the Stratford High School Back to School Night, this is a change from the original date that may have been communicated earlier. During the meeting, the Task Force will present a detailed review of the process, benefits, recommendation, and timeline. Members of the Task Force and others will be available during a Question and Answer session and afterward for additional questions as time permits.
To more efficiently answer your questions, you will be asked to submit your question at the beginning of the meeting. We look forward to seeing you at this community meeting and we are eager to share the details of this wonderful plan for our school and our community.