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f ox c hapel a r ea s chool d is tr ict | s tat e of t he s chools
Construction Begins on New Kerr School
The Kerr community came together to break ground for the new Kerr Elementary School July 10, 2018. The new building is being
constructed on the same property as the current Kerr School on the lower fi eld (the current playground).
In his opening remarks, Superintendent Gene Freeman, Ed.D., described the
groundbreaking as a “grand occasion.” Special guests included Kerr Elementary School
rising fi fth grader Sophia Jacobs and incoming kindergartner Veronica Mascilli, along
with Kerr alum John A. Meinert. Mr. Meinert, who still lives on his family farm about
a mile from Kerr School, expressed that he was looking forward to the transition from
the old to the new. He and his wife sent their eight children to Kerr, and eight of their
grandchildren also attended there. They anticipate that a fourth generation of Meinert
children will be attending school at the new Kerr.
The new construction will provide critical updates to Kerr and will include several
innovative features. Centrally located in the new building will be a collaboratory space
that includes a large area where students will gather to work on projects, conduct
research, collaborate, and plan. There will be a makerspace, a SMALLab learning
space, and a computer science robotics lab, in addition to a traditional library. The new
Kerr will include space for a language immersion
program in which classes will be primarily taught
in Spanish and will be open to students across the
district. There will also be space for a prekindergarten
classroom, along with the Creativity and Literacy Program.
Construction will continue throughout the 2018-2019 school year and is scheduled to be completed in
the fall of 2019. It is anticipated the cost of the new Kerr Elementary School will be approximately
$21 million.
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