New Mercer County Elementary School Ribbon Cutting And Open House On Tuesday, July 14
Officials at the Mercer County School District are inviting the community to new Mercer County Elementary School on Industry Road on Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m. (Image: Robert Moore/The Harrodsburg Herald.)
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
Officials at the Mercer County School District are excited to welcome the community to what they are calling the incredible new Mercer County Elementary School on Industry Road on Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m.
Superintendent Jason Booher announced the open house at the last school board meeting.
“We are thrilled to open a state of the art elementary school that will serve approximately 700 preschool through second grade students for decades to come,” Booher told the Harrodsburg Herald. “This building represents a significant investment in the future of Mercer County’s children and reflects our community’s commitment to providing outstanding learning environments.
School officials broke ground on the project on May 14, 2024, after what Booher said was more than a year of planning.
“We have received the keys to the building and our staff has begun the process of moving in,” Booher said. “It has been exciting to see classrooms come to life as teachers and staff prepare for the start of the school year.”
The 77,182 square foot building sits on a 20-acre site, which officials hope will allow plenty of space for outdoor adventure and learning, including a courtyard classroom.
“One of the features we are most excited about is how the building was intentionally designed to maximize instructional time,” Booher said. “Every pair of classrooms is connected by a shared breakout learning space, providing opportunities for small group instruction, intervention, enrichment, and collaborative learning without disrupting neighboring classrooms. In addition, the hallways include flexible learning areas that can be used throughout the day for student collaboration and individualized instruction.”
Another innovative feature, Booher said, is the flexible classroom furniture.
“Nearly every piece of student furniture is on casters, allowing teachers to quickly transition between whole group instruction, small group learning, collaborative projects, and independent work,” the superintendent said. “The building was designed to support the way students learn today while providing the flexibility to meet future educational needs.”
The total projected cost of the project is $33.6 million, which officials said was more than $2.5 million lower than initial estimates. While the submitted cost is $34.6 million, the district hopes to save approximately $1 million from the estimated costs because of interest earned on the funds during the construction. They also hope to receive a $1.5 million rebate for using geo-thermal heating.
The estimated total construction cost for the project is $29.7 million, with a $1.4 million contingency, as well as $1.59 million in architect and engineering fees and other expenses.
RossTarrant Architects served as architects on the project, with Structural Design Group Inc., CMTA Inc. and Joby Smith and Associates Inc. serving as consultants. Trace Creek Construction served as the construction manager. Trace Creek is also serving construction manager for the athletic stadium at Mercer County Senior High School.
The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m., followed by a community-wide open house.
“We hope families, alumni, former employees, and community members will come see this beautiful new school and celebrate this milestone with us,” Booher said. “This building belongs to our entire community, and we are excited to share it with everyone.”
