HOLLAND, Mich. — A $30 million dollar project is taking shape in a West Michigan school district, responding to the area's growing population.
"It's been a long runway to get to this point," West Ottawa School District Superintendent Tim Bearden says.
This site will be home to Riley Farms Elementary School in Holland,
becoming the ninth elementary school in the district.
"It's gonna be a three section for grade level elementary school, so it can accommodate up to maybe 550 or so students at the maximum," Bearden says.
The $30 million dollar project is the last one that was approved by a bond issue in 2019. Ottawa county is one of the fastest growing parts of the state, and this district has seen increasing enrollment in the last two years.
"That's unique at this time right now, a lot of schools in this side of the state have seen some decline in enrollment. so we're kind of encouraged and excited about that," Bearden says.
He says location really influenced their decision on where to build the new school.
"The idea was to have a foothold here on the east side of our district, so east of 31 really," Bearden says.
"This is super exciting for the kids in this area, because we're going to be able to serve a group of kids that maybe we haven't been as well because we just didn't have a location close enough to them," Board President Cathy Lebster says. "I'm really excited to watch all this take shape."
Over the next six to nine months, the district will decide how boundary lines will change and which students will attend the new school.
"One of our guiding kind of features has been will students have access to whatever programs we offer?" Bearden says. "We have a Montessori elementary, if they want Montessori, can they have access? We have spanish immersion, can they have access? We have that. We're working on transportation plans and district boundaries that will ensure that every student has access to the kind of program we offer it every school."
This school is designed so the students will be able to interact and learn in nature more easily.
"Outdoor learning spaces, kind of experiential focus, we're building of a beautiful piece of property with a lot of woods and natural features, creek, running water, opportunity for kids to get outside and participate in learning kind of with nature," Bearden says.
The school is projected to open in the fall of 2025.