2004 opening expected

BY TERRI DOYLE, Mojave Desert News

ROSAMOND When the school year starts in Fall 2004, several hundred Rosamond youngsters will begin classes at a new school.

Southern Kern Unified School District Superintendent Rod Van Norman announced on Tuesday that groundbreaking for the school will be held Thursday, August 14 at 6 p.m. The school site is at 35th Street West and Imperial Avenue (end of 35th Street West, south of Rosamond Boulevard) in the Westpark development.

The school has been referred to as the Westpark Elementary School for several years as plans have been on again, off again to build the new campus. "We have a committee working on a name for the school," said Van Norman. "We'll also be sending flyers home soon with students to get input from the community."

The new school will help relieve overcrowding at the district's two other elementary schools Hamilton Elementary and Rosamond Elementary which serve more than 1500 students. "We expect to have children attending classes at the school by Fall of 2004," said Van Norman.

Cost of the school is $7.6 million with the winning bidder, Webb Bros. out of Lancaster, coming in $1.4 million under the $8.9 million the district budgeted for the project. Funding for the school will come from a school bond measure passed in March $2.5 million and state matching funds of $6.5 million. Van Norman said after the contract was awarded in July that the savings will be used to "make it a school, not just a building." Spending plans for the $1.4 include desks, technology, equipment, library books and landscaping.
 

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