LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Since 1952, there has not been a brand-new school for the members of the Russell and California neighborhoods.
On Monday, it all changed with Jefferson County Public Schools breaking ground on the brand new, tentatively named West Broadway Elementary.
The 80,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility will house around 800 students, many of who currently attend Wheatley and Roosevelt-Perry Elementary.
The district plans to install all the latest technology and room designs for breakout instructions and small group learning. The total cost comes out to $28 million.
JCPS officials and community leaders said the upcoming school is history in the making.
"Martin Luther King Jr. said the time is always right to do what is right," Diane Porter, a longtime JCPS Board member, said. "This is indeed the right time to do the right thing."
The elementary school at 18th and West Broadway, will collaborate with the Republic Bank Foundation YMCA nearby, giving students and their families access to all they offer.
"The collaboration is not just a project," said Steve Tarver, CEO YMCA Greater Louisville. "It’s intended to spread opportunities and broaden choices for the children and families of the school and ultimately the broaden the community."
Construction is expected to be finished within 18 to 24 months, hopefully ending by 2023. District leaders said they will reveal an official name for the school at a later time.
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