Design work is expected to begin in fiscal year 2024.
Yellow Springs Elementary School
Frederick, Md (KM) A new Yellow Springs Elementary School is on the horizon. The Frederick County Board of Education on Wednesday afternoon approved a plan to replace the current building on Yellow Springs Road with a new structure to be located on Christopher’s Crossing. The current at 8717 Yellow Springs Road building will be demolished.
These recommendations are part of a feasibility study presented to the School Board on Wednesday.
The Board’s decision won praise from parents of Yellow Springs Elementary students who spoke to Board on Wednesday evening. “Yellow Springs currently has around 585 students in a school with a state-rated capacity of 453,” said Abby Mueller, the Treasurer of the Yellow Springs Elementary PTA.
The school first opened in 1957, and additions to the building were constructed in 1966 and 1974. Mueller says the school building has many problems. “The feasibility study also found that Yellow Springs has asbestos tiles, old equipment, active leaks, many classrooms without windows, no fire hydrant on site among other problems,” she said.
Jessica Lertora, President of the Yellow Springs Elementary PTA, says the current building has other problems. “Our septic tank–yes we’re still on septic—it’s at capacity, Once we get more students in that school, our septic tank will fail,”: she said.
There is a lot residential construction taking place or planned for that area of the Frederick City and the County, and that will mean additional students in Yellow Springs Elementary and other nearby schools.
Lertora says the building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Sara Kelly is a Yellow Springs Elementary parents, and a staff member, and she says the building has run out of space. “We’re committing all of our rooms right now to students, and we’re being shoved into closets literally for our offices,” Kelly said. “We have two people in a room that should be a legit closet, and that definitely not okay.”
School System staff say design work on the new school is expected to get underway in fiscal year 2024. The cost of the new school building is estimated at $56,231,527, according to the feasibility study.
Board of Ed President Brad Young urged the parents to pressure state and county elected officials for the money to construct the new school because the School System is not a funding authority. “More advocation should be done at the county level and the state level because they’re who drive when the projects actually are able to move forward,” he said. “And I know it’s in that process and it’s on a faster track right now. Hopefully, will get done sooner rather than later.”
By Kevin McManus