LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) broke ground on a new all-boys school Wednesday.
It's part of the W.E.B. DuBois Academy campus and will be built off Poplar Level Road, next to Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
The school will enroll 1,000 students in grades six through 12.
The $62 million middle school/high school is currently split -- with middle school students in one building and high school students in another.
"Construction of a new W.E.B. Dubois Academy is further proof of our commitment to bring JCPS facilities up-to-date and in line with what students have in other districts," JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Polio said. "Bringing DuBois' young men and staff into one, state-of-the-art school building will not only provide efficiencies but, most importantly, improve the sense of belonging, pride in the school and educational experience for the students."
The 185,000 square foot school will be three stories tall; the second and third floors will be divided horizontally to separate middle and high school; it will have 65 classrooms, two gyms, with separate locker rooms for middle and high schoolers; a middle school gym that would double as a storm shelter and a geothermal heating/cooling system.
In addition, a turf athletic field and stadium will be built on the same site as the school.
DuBois is one of 20 new school building included in JCPS' 10-year facilities plan. Four new JCPS schools have opened in the past two years: Wilkerson Elementary School, Perry Elementary School, Indian Trail Elementary School and Echo Trail Middle School.
The new W.E.B. DuBois Academy is scheduled to open in the 2026-27 school year.
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