LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) officials cut the ribbon today on the new Wilkerson Elementary School, located in Southwest Jefferson County.
Sounds of celebration for the long-awaited opening came around one month later than originally planned, after Wilkerson Elementary failed a last minute safety inspection.
"So I know a lot of our families have been looking forward to this. I want to thank you for your patience through the additional time," Dr. Marty Pollio, JCPS superintendent, said. "This is a sign to our communities and families that we are doing the hard work."
Students will start classes on Sept. 12 in their $17 million, 82,000-square-foot building. Wilkerson Elementary marks JCPS’ second school to open in the 2022-23 school year.
Pollio said the main priority in the latter half of this project was getting students into seats inside classrooms, even if it remains unfinished.
"There still will be some work going on to the outside of the building over the next couple of months," he said.
Wilkerson students were attending school at the old Watson Lane Elementary School, which closed at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Teachers will continue to shuffle their things over from Watson Lane, which is a few miles down the street.
"We really only [gave] our personnel a week to get inside to get it ready, so I think there's going to be a lot of work going on this weekend," Pollio said.
It'll be a busy weekend, but school officials believe it will be well worth it.
"The thing I like about it the most is the innovative spaces inside this school," Pollio said.
“When students walk into a building like this each school day, it’s indisputable that it builds pride in their school, enhances learning and helps foster relationships with other students and staff,” Pollio said. “These are the kinds of buildings we should have all over Jefferson County.”
Highlights of the new building are:
- Two stories of classrooms, art, computer and media rooms plus plenty of open spaces for collaborative learning.
- Outdoor spaces that can serve as classrooms.
- Classrooms organized in “neighborhoods” of four to promote collaboration between teachers and students.
- A gym that doubles as a tornado shelter.
- Environmentally friendly–Geothermal heating and cooling along with energy efficient windows, lighting and plumbing.
“We can’t wait to welcome students into the new Wilkerson Elementary learning space,” Sara Alvey, Wilkerson principal, said. “They are going to love the state-of-the-art Maker Space, the new gymnasium and the bright and colorful classrooms.”
Wilkerson Elementary School is the first school built in Southwest Jefferson County in 24 years, officials said.
"This building signifies what the future of JCPS will be," Joe Marshall, JCPS school board member, said. "This is not going to be the last time we do this. We're going to do this as many times as we can."
Pollio said more new schools are in the works as the district launches a 10-year construction and renovation plan.
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