The Edmond Sun

Local News

August 12, 2006

New construction to greet students this fall

EDMOND — Although West Field Elementary School may be the most noticeable new construction project for Edmond Public Schools, it’s just one of the many new additions and renovations that recently have been completed or are in the works.

Bret Towne, director of operations for Edmond Public Schools, said the district has been working on numerous projections, including adding artificial turf at all three high school stadiums, new locker room facilities at Memorial and Santa Fe, finishing up a fire suppression system at John Ross Elementary, and additions to the media center and parking lot at Memorial.

In addition, Centennial Elementary School, which will open next fall, is currently under construction, and other projects will begin soon.

“We’ll be working at Will Rogers starting in September with a classroom addition and remodeling,” Towne said. “We’ll probably start construction of the freshman academy at Memorial toward the end of September or first of October.”

Edmond students return to class Aug. 21.

Many of the new projects added to or improved athletic facilities at the schools.

“We’re super excited about the turf, obviously,” said Mike Nunley, athletic director for the Edmond school district. “It’s a tremendous advantage for us athletically in that it makes our facilities state of the art. It will provide our students with a safe and outstanding place to play football.”

Safety is one of the big advantages of the artificial turf. With the current water shortages in the area, it would be difficult to maintain natural grass to keep the fields safe for practice and games.

“There’s not enough water to put on those fields to make them a safe environment,” Nunley said. “They’d look really good until the first practice.”

The artificial turf, which cost about $1.7 million to install, also will save money over time, as the grounds crew will have to do less work and use less people to keep the turf in top condition and the fields will require less recovery time between use.

“Financially, we’re going to save money in the long term,” Nunley said. “We can free up those individuals who do a great job taking care of the football fields and they can work on the softball fields or other natural grass fields.”

Nunley also said the addition of the field house at Memorial was a great improvement for the district.

“It gives us three of the nicest field houses in the state of Oklahoma,” he said. “It’s a compliment to our district and patrons to have the foresight to do that.”

West Field, which cost about $8.5 million in the first of three stages of construction, will need about $6 million in future classroom additions. Centennial will cost just under $10 million in this phase of construction.

Adding classrooms in the district will become a priority for Edmond in the future because of the sustained growth of the Edmond school district. Currently, around 600 students a year are entering into the district.

“Primarily, our focus is shifting to classrooms over the next few years,” Towne said. “We won’t be doing nearly as much remodeling. We’ll be adding spaces for classrooms.”

Text Only
Local News
  • $6.8B budget crosses final hurdle

    House members found enough votes late Thursday afternoon to approve the state’s $6.8 billion budget for next year by a vote of 52-42. This came after an earlier vote failed by four votes in the House Thursday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • Santa Fe principal resigns

    Edmond Santa Fe High School principal Earl Kirkpatrick resigned Thursday to explore possibilities in the field of ministry. His last day is June 30.

    May 25, 2012

  • devin derrick 2012.jpg Hollywood dreams do come true: Edmondite develops film, music career

    It’s all about being in the right place at the right time.
    At least that is what Edmond resident and 1990 Edmond High School graduate Devin Derrick will tell you about his rise to fame in the music and movie businesses.

    May 25, 2012 1 Photo

  • ASK A LAWYER: Trusts provide options for difficult heirs

    Q: We have a grown daughter who has a gambling problem. We want to provide for her in our will, but also want to protect her share from being wasted after we die. How can we do this?
    A: Your situation is not unusual. Most of us know at least one person who has difficulty handling money for one reason or another.

    May 25, 2012

  • 5-26 Pets

    This is a list of animals that have been found and are at the Edmond Animal Shelter, at Interstate 35 and Covell in the Cross Timbers Municipal Complex. Call the shelter at 216-7615 for more information.

    May 25, 2012

  • 5-26 Police and Fire

    Information in this column is gathered from city fire incident logs and police incident reports.

    May 25, 2012

  • Make-A-Wish Oklahoma hosts Lexus raffle

    Make-A-Wish Oklahoma will once again partner with Lexus of Tulsa and Eskridge Lexus of Oklahoma City to raffle off a new Lexus, raising funds to support the organization’s efforts to grant the heartfelt wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions in Oklahoma.

    May 25, 2012

  • Edmond youth are encouraged to make a difference

    The Edmond Youth Council programs are opportunities for students 15-18 years of age to learn about municipal government and potentially impact future city policies.

    May 25, 2012

  • Hiebert graduates from Field Artillery training

    Army Pfc. Cody A. Hiebert has graduated from the Field Artillery Firefinder Radar Operator Advanced Individual Training course at Fort Sill, Lawton.

    May 25, 2012

  • arcadia lake 3.jpg Police: Comply with lake rules during holiday period

    Summer vacation, hot days and a holiday weekend spell heavier traffic on Arcadia Lake, and police want to remind guests about rules and what happens if you break them.
    May 23 was the last day of school for Edmond Public Schools and the long Memorial Day holiday period has come.

    May 25, 2012 6 Photos