Parkland School District officials are undertaking preliminary efforts for land acquisition and funding for a new elementary school in the southwestern portion of the district.

The necessity for a new school became evident through a feasibility study report one year ago.

The consultant, Stantec, compiled enrollment projections which indicated 15 additional elementary classrooms will be needed by 2020 and four more by 2024.

“The board saw the projections,” said Superintendent Richard Sniscak at the Sept. 20 board meeting. “Through redistricting we could buy time until a new school is built.”

A formal vote was not taken to proceed with the new school, but when the construction manager and architect are hired, the commitment will be obvious, explained Sniscak.

Through a $10 million dollar bond issue for various projects earlier this year, the district set aside a portion for purchase of land for the new building.

“We are looking at land but nothing is finalized,” Sniscak said.

In a budget presentation to the board, Business Manager John Vignone reported Parkland plans to have a vote in December on borrowing $10 million for capital projects, buses, technology and the new school.

“There will be seed money to get us moving to hire professionals such as architects and engineers,” Vignone said.

He anticipates $3 million to $4 million of that amount will go toward the school project.

“We are starting the process to open the doors of the new school in four years,” Vignone explained.

Stantec’s recommendation, favored by the district, includes construction of a kindergarten through fifth grade, 90,000 square feet, elementary school at an estimated cost of $31.7 million to accommodate 500 to 700 students.

The building, which will maintain current grade level configurations while also holding to the community school concept, will serve children in the southwestern part of the district where large scale residential developments are bringing hundreds of new families to Parkland.

“We plan to open the doors in September 2020,” said the superintendent.