Meeting on Liberty Ridge Expansion Set for April 17

Woodbury residents will have a chance to check out the latest plans for the coming expansion at a meeting next week.

District 833 officials today, April 9, announced plans for a neighborhood meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17, at the elementary school.

Plans call for the existing Liberty Ridge Site II building to be expanded from 10,000 square feet to approximately 22,000 square feet.

The expanded facility will house eight kindergarten classrooms, two school readiness classrooms, an activity space, cafeteria, serving kitchen, media center and administrative offices, according to a release from South Washington County Schools. A playground space may be constructed on the back side of the facility.

In December 2011 the District 833 School Board as part of an effort to .

The district is proposing to use $450,000 in leftover funds from the 2006 property-tax levy as a down payment on the project, and will likely finance the remaining balance over the course of 15 years.

Mike Vogel, assistant to the superintendent for operations, has said the tax impact on residents would be nominal. On a $250,000 house, the homeowner would property taxes rise about $3.

Current enrollment at Liberty Ridge is about 980 students. Just two years ago, 220 fewer students attended the school. That number is expected to rise to about 1,015 students in 2013-14.

The building is expected to serve 160-180 kindergarten students and 60-80 preschool students attending split shifts, according to the release.

Building hours will be consistent with Liberty Ridge Elementary (9:10 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.), with staff hours approximately one hour prior to and one hour after the school day, according to the release. Transportation to the site will be either school buses or parents driving their children. It is anticipated that no more than three school buses will serve the building during peak drop off and pick up times.

“The architecture of the building will match what is currently in place and has been approved by the Stone Mill Farms design review process,” the release says.

For more information contact Mike Vogel, assistant to the superintendent for operations, at 651-458-6276 or Principal Mike Moore at 651-768-5990.

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