This school year is off to a great start! Principal Outerbridge is doing an amazing job with the students and staff and I am excited to see where she will be able to take our district now and in the future.
I want to take a moment to send you a quick update on the NEW Venice Elementary School. First, I am excited to say we are right on schedule with the construction of the new school. Since January of 2022, Venice CUSD #3 Board of Education and administration have been working diligently behind the scenes of planning and designing the new elementary school building while staying within the budget. I want to personally thank Mayor Tyrone Echols for his ongoing support for the new elementary school and assisting us through the process.
Below is a small list of some of the things the school district is working on since we released the exterior picture of the building to the public:
- Finalized all interior and exterior designs
- Elementary playground design discussions
- Pre-Kindergarten playground discussions
- Land and site acoustical analysis survey completed on the school property
- Met with furniture vendors to discuss the new school furniture coming to the building
- Had many ongoing discussions about the safety and security of the new building. This includes interior and exterior cameras, creating safety vestibules at the main entrances of the school, and the newest technology as it relates to phone systems, intercom systems and code red alarms.
- Finalized the design of a state of the art gymnasium
Below are important dates that will be taking place as we prepare for the ground breaking of the new school in the Spring of 2024.
- November 8th 2023= Bid documents will be sent out to the three General Contractors
- December 21st 2023 = One General Contractor will be awarded the new construction project of the new Venice Elementary School at the December Board of Education Meeting
- February 2024 = Groundbreaking ceremony
- Date = TBD
- The entire community will be invited to this event.
- Stay tuned for more information about this event from the district office in the next few months.
- March 2024 = Break ground on the New Venice Elementary School
- June 2025 = New Elementary School will be complete
- July/August 2025 = Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
- August 2025 = School begins in the NEW elementary school!
Exciting times are ahead for Venice CUSD #3 students, staff and the community. I am looking forward to continue to work with the Board of Education, key stakeholders, and legislators as we turn our dream of a brand new school into a reality here in the Venice community. Stay tuned for more information as it relates to the new school in the upcoming months.