New Classrooms slated for Fairmount Elementary, to address surge in enrollment

Many of the schools in the ISD have experienced an increase in enrollment since our district moved to a four-day school week in August 2023. While this is a positive development, it has also challenged us to think creatively about how to maximize the use of the limited space in some of our buildings.

At Fairmount Elementary each day, staff has been bussing more than 20 students to other elementary schools in the district due to this lack of space. The building is more than 100 years old, so district leadership began to think of ways to bring new life into the space. 

On Tuesday, the ISD Board of Education voted to approve demolition and abatement services at Fairmount, as well as the hiring of a Construction manager.

Demolition work will begin over the holiday break to convert Fairmount’s auditorium into 5 new classrooms and a music room. The work will continue throughout the second semester, outside of school hours to ensure minimal disruption to the student learning environment. Music classes during this time will take place in a mobile classroom on school property, as is often the case during construction or renovation projects in any school district. 

The last performance in the auditorium is Tuesday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m. Third-grade students will perform “The Nutcracker” as part of the holiday season.

Learn more about this project in this article from KCUR, published in November:
Read the full article

Our goal is to bring back all displaced students and ensure that, by the 2025-26 school year, there is enough classroom space for every Fairmount Bulldog to learn and grow!