WAUKEE- The school board is moving forward with plans to build an additional high school and a new elementary building.
For 30 years, Joleen Martin worked for the Waukee Community School District. When she started, the kindergarten through high school fit into one three-story brick building.
“I’ve seen some big changes,” said Martin.
After those three decades and a retirement from the school, Martin is watching the district boom into the fastest growing in the state of Iowa.
For the past five years, Waukee has seen an increased enrollment of an average of 500 students per year, 675 students last year and a forecasted 500 this year. Since 2000, it has quadrupled in size to nearly 10,000 students.
At Monday nights board meeting, the board approved adding a ninth elementary to the existing eight that span Waukee, West Des Moines, Clive and Urbandale.
The ninth building will be between Meredith Drive and Waterford, west of Alice’s Road, north of Waukee.
“We continue to watch where growth occurs while we look for a location for elementary number 10,” said Associate Superintendent Cindi McDonald.
Also at last night’s meeting, McDonald was named Waukee’s next head superintendent, taking the place of Dr. Dave Wilkerson. McDonald will take over in February of 2017 when Dr. Wilkerson retires.
“I’m going to continue to focus on teaching and learning on a daily basis. It’s clearly the most important think we can do while managing growth at the same time,” said McDonald.
The biggest approved motion was adding a second high school to house sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Similar to Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial, Waukee would split into two high schools with two athletic teams. The board is proposing the school be built in the northwest corner of town, near the Waukee YMCA. It would sit on 160 acres of land, sixty of which would be shared by the city.
“When it does open, we’ll have 1,000 students in each high school. The current high school will be functioning as it does now, but in many ways, they’ll be similar from the feedback we’re getting from students and current stakeholders,” said McDonald.
Martin’s family business, The Ice Cream Shoppe, will sit in the middle of both high schools along Waukee’s main triangle. She says her ice cream is a main staple for kids after sports practices and family’s during the summer.
Martin said she hopes the elite schools may bring new life into the triangle that’s currently being out-shined by new, upcoming businesses east of town.
“You have to go with the flow,” said Martin. “I’m going along with it. I think it’s good we’re changing and getting bigger because nothing really stays dorment.”
Martin’s two children and her four grandchild all graduated from Waukee schools. She says she knows more change is on the horizon.
“No matter what we’ve done or how fast we grow, people still love Waukee,” said Martin.
“We’re lucky, we have the gift of time right now as we plan to open that high school in 2021,” said McDonald.
Right now, there is not an estimated cost of the second high school.
A land purchasing agreement will be voted on by city council on May 16 and if it’s approved, a bond referendum can be expected sometime in 2018.
The second Waukee high school would not open until fall of 2021.
Waukee Schools is also set to open the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center (Waukee Aspiring Professional Experience- APEX) on June 8. APEX partners will work with business partners to bring real-world experience into the classroom.
