A Bumper Crop of Kindergarteners? Expand the High School

By the time the doors open on the 2012-2013 school year at Waukee High School, all the construction equipment and dirt taking up space at the corner of Warrior Lane and University Avenue will be replaced by 22 new classrooms, a new gymnasium and a new, state-of-the-art media center.

According to Waukee High School principal Kirk Johnson, the  additional classrooms will give the school a capacity for 1,800-2,000 sophomore, junior and senior students. When school begins on Aug. 17, Waukee High School will start the year with 1,100 students.

So why the need for a 2,000 student capacity?

According to Waukee’s projected district enrollment growth data, this year’s kindergarten class will start with 627 students. That nearly doubles this year’s 12^th grade class, which will start with 326 students.

“We have over 600 kindergartners, and we know that will hit our middle schools and our high school. It’s already impacting them now,” said associate superintendent Cindi McDonald. “We have a good plan intact for managing our growth.”

A new fieldhouse is also in the beginning stages of construction. It will be an additional gym that will connect to the existing one. According to Waukee High School assistant principal Brady Fleming, the current gym will be downsized to make room for a more spacious cafeteria.

“I think it’s great that the leadership in Waukee has the foresight to be thinking long term like this,” Fleming said.

Community Education director Jeff Longman welcomes the new additions and says the growth is good for Waukee.

“It’s always exciting when we get more classrooms because there are more opportunities for us to host classes, or some sort of different class that we haven’t thought of,” Longman said. “The growth out there is nice. Growth is a good thing, especially in this economic situation.”

Construction of the new media center is also underway. All three projects are scheduled to be done by the start of the 2012-2013 school year.