South Fayette School District breaks ground on new elementary school
Construction of a new elementary school in the South Fayette School District officially got underway last week with an early evening groundbreaking ceremony.
It was the culmination of a years-long process – for almost a decade, administrators and school board members have been contemplating building a new elementary school on the South Fayette campus on Old Oakdale Road to meet growing enrollment and replace a structure that was built in 1970.
The new $85 million school is scheduled to open in August 2028, if construction proceeds on schedule. It will house students in kindergarten, and first and second grades.
“We are not just preparing to open a building,” said Dr. Michelle Miller, the district’s superintendent. “We are opening the door to opportunities.”
Addressing preschoolers who were at Tuesday’s ceremony and are due to be among the first students enrolled at the school, Miller said, “This school will be built for you.”
She also explained that the school has been “thoughtfully designed to reflect who we are as a district.” It will have three stories and hold a little more than 1,000 students. Spaces within it will be dedicated to students learning English as a second language, occupational therapy, STEM classes and more.
Construction has already started on an expansion of the intermediate school, which is located next to the site of the new elementary school. Costing $17 million, the additions to the intermediate school will include more classroom space, large-group instruction spaces and space for an orchestra. The intermediate school houses students in grades 3 to 5, and the work is set to be done in time for the 2026-27 school year.
Also planned is a new bus garage and maintenance depot.
To cover the costs, the district is increasing its millage rate by 1 mill for the next two years. For this school year, it was set at 27.7 mills, which means that a homeowner would pay $2,770 a year for every $100,000 of assessed property value.