IN Fox Chapel Area Fall 2017 | Page 24

2016-2017 f ox c hapel a rea s chool d istrict s tate of the s chools The Fox Chapel Area Community Has Maintained its commitment to a High-Quality Education for Its Children. School Renovations Ongoing Major Projects Part of Facilities Upgrades T he Fox Chapel Area community has maintained its commitment to a high-quality education for its children. An important part of that commitment is a continual evaluation and upgrading of the district’s facilities. With the completion of the major high school renovation in 2016, the school district has moved its focus to other schools in the district and the School Board authorized a new bond issue to fund upcoming construction and renovation work at its May 2017 meeting. Plans for a New Kerr Th is past spring, the Fox Chapel Area Board of School Directors approved a plan to begin preparations to build a new Kerr Elementary School to replace the oldest building in the district. It will be located on the present Kerr property and is slated to open by the end of 2019. Th e new Kerr will provide for critical updates including more advanced technologies designed to enhance student learning. One of the highlights of the new school will be the inclusion of a collaboratory cluster – a large central area where students will come together to work on projects, conduct research, collaborate, and plan. Included will be a makerspace, a SMALLab, and a computer science and robotics lab classroom, as well as the library. 22 Fox Chapel Area