The Parkland School Board has announced an agreement to accept a donated parcel of land from David Jaindl, owner of Jaindl Farms and Jaindl Land Co., for the site of a new elementary school.

The 18-acre site is on the west side of Twin Ponds Road between Long Lane and Schantz Road.

Parkland School District Superintendent Richard T. Sniscak thanked the Jaindl family.

“I want to personally thank David Jaindl and his family for the generous gift of a parcel of land ideally suited for the development of an elementary school,” Sniscak said on Feb. 28. “As a Parkland Distinguished Alumnus and parent, he has been a champion for education in our region at large and we are extremely appreciative of this donation.”

President of the Board of School Directors David M. Kennedy also commented on the land donation.

“On behalf of the Parkland School Board and taxpayers, we are extremely grateful for the donation of land that the Jaindl family has kindly contributed,” Kennedy said. “We feel the land and location will serve our children and community very well.”

David Jaindl commented on behalf of his family and businesses.

“The Jaindl family has lived and worked in the Parkland School District for generations,” Jaindl said. “Our businesses, Jaindl Farms, Jaindl Land Company and Schantz Orchards have been based in the Parkland School District for over 85 years.

“Three generations of Jaindls have attended Parkland Schools and have appreciated the quality of the education it provided.

“On behalf of our entire family, Jackie and I are proud to make this contribution to the Parkland School District.”

The proposed new school will accommodate a growing population of residents in the southwest corner of the school district where new construction continues to occur at a fast pace.

The recommendation to build a new elementary school first was announced in October 2015 during a school board meeting when Stantec, a civil engineering/architectural firm, presented their findings on a 10-year feasibility study Parkland contracted them to perform.

Stantec suggested options to handle the projected enrollment growth which showcased a need for an additional 15 classrooms in the south and southwest pockets of the district by the year 2020, and an additional 19 classrooms in that same area through the year 2024.

“About a year and a half ago, projections for new developments in the southwestern corner of the school district predicted that an additional 500 elementary students would potentially enter Parkland in the next five years,” Sniscak stated. “A redistricting effort that occurred last year is helping us buy time, but a new elementary school will be the ultimate solution to alleviate the overcrowding that is starting to occur in the southern part of our district.”

In January 2017, the school board hired KCBA Architects to provide architectural and engineering services for the design and construction of the new elementary school.

The project is planned for a fall 2020 opening. Legal title to the land will be conveyed to Parkland School District after all closing conditions have been satisfied.

The school district will convene a New Elementary School Advisory Committee to obtain input on the facility, its features, and community use as part of the planning process.