Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School Frequently Asked Questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is Barbara Jordan Elementary School being rebuilt?
- The existing building falls short of meeting the educational and technology needs of 21st century students.
- Lighting is inadequate, classroom spaces are small and access to the building, especially for those with physical disabilities, is difficult.
- The current facility is in need of significant repairs and upgrades to meet state and federal requirements established by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Americans with Disabilities Act. A new Barbara Jordan Elementary School will be more efficient to operate.
How will this new school help our children learn better?
- Research indicates that sub standard and deteriorating building facilities impact student learning. A new Barbara Jordan Elementary School, aligned with quality instructional programming, will provide an improved learning environment that encourages student success.
- The addition of specialized classrooms and specialty spaces will enable students to do more exploratory work and self discovery.
- Better day lighting, air quality and technology accommodations are proven to improve children’s ability to focus and absorb information.
How big will the school be?
- The new Barbara Jordan Elementary School will be 64,834 square feet over two stories.
- It will be 38,658 square feet on the first floor, and
- 26,176 square feet on the second floor
What will be the capacity of the school?
- The school will open with 385 students, but it will have the ability to accommodate 500 students.
What is the cost of the school?
- $13 million
How many classrooms will it have?
- The new Barbara Jordan Elementary School will have 24 classrooms.
What will be unique about this school?
- This facility will be one of the first sustainable Silver level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) schools in eastern Missouri. The LEED rating system addresses a number of issues such as energy and water efficiency, construction waste recycling, construction materials, classroom acoustics, day lighting and fresh air.
- Several architectural items that are unique to the original structure, such as the decorative tile mosaics which surround the water fountains will be placed in the new Barbara Jordan.
- The eco-friendly aspects of this facility will provide unlimited instructional opportunities and allow the building to serve as a working lab for teachers and students to learn more about the environment and green sustainability.
When will the Barbara Jordan community move back into the new school?
- The Barbara Jordan community will move into the new building in the summer of 2011
Where will the Barbara Jordan community be housed, while the new Barbara Jordan is being built?
- The Barbara Jordan community will be housed in the McNair Administration Building until the new school is complete
Will a school of this size feel huge?
- By breaking the building into grade level clusters, or pods the school will feel much more intimate
