Darnestown Elementary School Prepares For Expansion

After two years of Montgomery County Council and Executive meetings, as well as a feasibility study, the Division of Construction for Montgomery County has entered the design phase for the addition.

Darnestown Elementary School has capacity for 264 students, but currently 373 students are enrolled. To manage that surplus students, fourth and fifth grade classes are held in six portable buildings in teh rear of the school.

The school was identified as needing an expansion in 2010 and was included in the 2010 Capitol Improvement Budget for Expansion.

Director of the Divisoin of Construction for Montgomery County Public Schools

“We look at every school and see what school has the most deficit. After the deficit has been identified the Superintendent makes a recommendation to the board in terms of which project is going to get an addition," said James Song, Director of the Division of Construction for Montgomery County Public Schools.

The planned expansion construction includes adding 10 classrooms and related support spaces such as special ED support rooms, therapy support rooms, offices and a lounge.

While the addition is primarily focused on meeting the needed capacity for the increased student enrollment, Song said additional goals were identified in the planning process through meetings with the community, staff and parents.

“The additional goals include improving the interior circulation of the building, locating the kindergarten classrooms closer to the multipurpose room so that they don’t have a far distance to travel, and adding on classrooms to the lower level so that it feels like it is part of the rest of the building,” Song said.

The design phase will continue for the next nine to ten months to ensure a thorough model is completed before construction, he said.

“This design idea and the goals for the project did not just come about overnight. It was through a series of meetings and discussions for well over a two year period now,” Song said. “I think we have a pretty good handle on the expectations from teachers and parents, as well as the community."

Darnestown Elementary Principal Laura Colgary said the portable classrooms have become the norm for fourth and fifth grade students.

“There have been portables here for years and year. I think as a community we have adjusted, but we are excited to have everybody back under one roof once the addition is done. We are creatively using every space in the building that we have so it’s going to give us a lot of really terrific space to work with the children,” Colgary said.

Additional parking spaces and separation of the bus loop from the parent drop off area is also included in the design.

“I think that the separation of the bus loop and the parents drop off is going to relieve some of the backup that occurs,” Colgary said. “There is only going to be a benefit to our front restructuring.”

According to the Department of Construction the addition and renovations will begin in January 2012 and commence August 2013. The project will cost roughly $9 million.