There's a new school house coming to rock Auburn in 2013.
After a surprising growth in student enrollment of elementary schools last year, Auburn City Schools' board of education agreed unanimously to build a new elementary school.
In the last three years, there has been an increase of 1,400 students, said Terry Jenkins, Auburn City Schools' superintendent, in a press release.
Three of the elementary schools are currently above 90 percent capacity, and the Auburn Early Education Center is reaching nearly 98 percent.
"Last year we had unprecedented growth in our system which created an immediate need for a new elementary school," Jenkins said in a statement.
According to Jenifer Lovvorn, Auburn City Schools' public relations director, either a new elementary school could be built or schools must start filling up portables next to the buildings.
In May the BOE approved a contract to purchase 25 acres of land from Frances Dillard of Auburn.
The purchase cost of the land was approximately $30,000 per acre, totaling about $750,000.
The new school will be located on North College Street next to the St. Michael Archangel Catholic Church, Lovvorn said.
Dennis Veronese, Auburn City Schools' assistant superintendent and chief financial officer, said the estimated cost for the new school is between $11 and $12 million.
Last week, the BOE approved a contract to hire architectural firm Goodywn Mills and Caywood to design the school.
"We'll go through the design phase over the next 3 months," Veronese said.
Then the Board will begin accepting bids for the project from general contractors, taking the cheapest.
Once that is completed, Veronese said, construction will hopefully begin around November or December and will continue through April or May of 2013, opening the school up for the 2013-2014 school year.
A name has not yet been decided for the school.
There will be a 550-student capacity and around 32 classrooms, according to Lovvorn.
Grade levels are still also being worked out for the school. It will however, be anywhere from kindergarten to fifth grade.
"It may be to accept the idea that at some point in the near future, we may no longer have a school specifically for our kindergarten students," Jenkins said.
Lovvorn said the BOE understands the Auburn community wants a kindergarten center, but at this time there are more students than can fit in one school. Therefore, rezoning will be put in effect.
Students who are located in the area of the new school will attend it, Lovvorn said.
Auburn has experienced rezoning numerous times, Lovvorn said, like before, students will have to leave their current school to attend a new school.
"But they of course will travel with neighbors who geographically live near them," Lovvorn said. "Some teachers that they are familiar with will also move to that school."
The BOE is always monitoring enrollment growth, Veronese said, and the building of a new school is something that has been in discussion for a while.
Veronese said the Board understands they are going to have to make some decisions that will affect the entire Auburn community, but they hope it will have a positive impact on the education process.
"It is an opportunity to better serve our students," Veronese said.
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