Three options presented as starting ground for possible renovations to New Kent Elementary School

For several years, renovations to New Kent Elementary School have been listed on the school board’s capital improvement plan (CIP). At Monday night’s New Kent School Board meeting, a concept on what the renovations could look like was presented to school leaders.

Stephen Halsey of Moseley Architects provided a synopsis of the history of the school building. Built in 1973, New Kent Elementary School received additions in 1992 and 2004. And while Halsey commented that the school was well maintained, many interior locations consist of metal partitions and consist of confusing interior circulation.

Located on nearly 10-and-a-half acres of land, New Kent Elementary School often causes traffic problems in the morning and afternoon. With entry to the parent drop-off area on Route 249 and the school buses having a small entry point on Egypt Road, the congestion has often become an area of emphasis that school leaders want to address.

Other issues that were pointed out by Halsey include the original portions of the building’s exterior walls having no additional support, making it difficult to create window openings. Fluorescent lighting has no dimming capability, resulting in possible wasted electricity. Also of concern is that there are no emergency or stand-by generators for the school, and the HVAC units using a refrigerant that has minimal availability for purchase. Other HVAC units in the school have reached their end-of-life service.

Over the last two months, Moseley Architects have met with school officials, administrative leaders at New Kent Elementary School, and community members to find areas that they want to see addressed with the renovation project. Among common themes include having a dedicated bus loop and separate parent drop-off/pick-up area to defer traffic off Route 249, putting grade levels in the same area, creating playground clusters with appropriate equipment, more natural light inside the building, better acoustics for sound, and creating better air quality circulation in the school.

Using that information, Moseley Architects rendered three preliminary options for New Kent schools. Option one consisted of a new bus loop in the same location, a parent drop-off loop with an expanded parking lot to the east of the school where the old tennis courts are located, a new main entrance located where the current parent drop-off gate is located, and new playgrounds. The new main entrance would consist of the administration and nurse’s office. Option two was similar to option one, with the real major additions including an auxiliary gym and outdoor playgrounds located between the school buildings to create an open concept. Option two’s additions provide a capacity of 750, compared to option one that offers around 650. Both option one and option two would require significant electrical and structure upgrades, along with temporary classrooms.

Option three presented by Halsey consisted of creating a new elementary school. The Moseley Architects representative commented that this design would be more attractive to market bidders and allow the construction of a two-story facility. It would also allow for students and staff to remain in the current elementary school while construction is taking place. However, that project would last two years and would require a more significant investment.

Preliminary costs tab option one’s cost at $43-45 million, while option two comes in at $51-53 million. Option three, which is the new school option, has a price tag of $58-60 million.

District 1 representative and current school board chairman Wayne Meade spoke about the projects, specifically the outlay of option three.

“There is a lot going on with this project and I don’t see why we can’t consider getting rid of the parks and recreation baseball fields,” he commented, referencing the opening of the new Pine Fork Park and the acquisition of Makemie Woods that can be converted to additional parks and recreation space. “As I look at option three, the new building would be constructed right up against the current building.

“With Pine Fork Park now open, I believe those baseball and softball fields can be used more,” Meade added. “I am concerned about space and it’s essentially a Catch-22 no matter what we do. We are growing fast in the county, and I don’t want to be limited by space if this option is the one that is considered.”

While none of the options are set in stone, all three are just concepts for renovations as additional feedback and research will continue. New Kent’s School Board is expected to discuss their desires at an Oct. 20 upcoming retreat with New Kent’s Board of Supervisors.