The Wentzville School District's third high school will include a section designed to help freshmen transition to high school life, plus classrooms equipped for the district's advanced science curriculum.
One hallway on the ground floor will be designated as a Freshman Academy. Instead of ninth-graders attending classes throughout the school, all of their core curriculum classes will be located in one hallway. Except for elective classes, physical education and lunch, freshman would spend their day in the academy, working exclusively among other freshman.
The Freshman Academy is included in the building concept submitted by the district's design team and approved by the Board of Education on Nov. 17.
Officials expect to break ground next spring for construction of the school on a 79.6-acre site on Sommers Road between highways N and DD in O'Fallon. The district bought the land in July for $5.9 million from a 2008 bond issue.
Voters last April approved a property tax increase of 30 cents per $100 assessed valuation to finance the new high school and additional classrooms in other district schools. The tax increase is expected to generate $36 million to $40 million for the high school.
Kari Monsees, the district's chief financial officer, said the new school is necessary to accommodate the growing student population. The 2011-12 kindergarten class has 400 more students than the senior class, and an average of 500 new students have enrolled in the district annually during the last four years, mostly in elementary and middle schools, he said.
The new high school will be built in two phases. The first 200,000 square feet will accommodate 1,200 students. The second phase would add 60,000 square feet, including an auditorium and second gymnasium.
The first phase is scheduled to open in the fall of 2013. The schedule for the second phase depends on enrollment, Monsees said.
This is the first time the Wentzville district has adopted the Freshman Academy model, a concept utilized for years in other districts. Monsees said the model helps middle school students make the difficult transition to high school life, a time when social pressures and the rigors of school work increase. An administrator and counselor will be assigned to work specifically with the freshman, he said.
The school, which has not been named, would enroll only freshmen its first year. Within four years, it is expected to enroll freshmen through seniors.
The first phase will include two rooms specially designed for the district's Project Lead the Way advanced science curriculum. The rooms will include science labs and classroom desks. The second phase would include a third advanced science room. This is also the first time the district has designed rooms specially for the Project Lead the Way program, instead of retrofitting existing rooms.
The school will include a fitness lab with Nautilus equipment for health and wellness coursework.
The building's main entrance will be located between a large gymnasium and the principal's office. The main hallway passes by two academic wings before connecting with the cafeteria and commons area.
Beyond the Freshman Academy, remaining core classrooms will be organized by department, with most to be on the second floor of the two front wings. The physical education and athletic areas will be near the main entrance and cafeteria.
