Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

GCS Prepares For New School Construction, Other Projects

On Sunday, April 15, 2018, an EF2 tornado touched down on the eastern side of Greensboro. Uprooted trees block an entrance at Peeler Open Elementary after the storm. KERI BROWN/WFDD.

Guilford County Schools is getting ready to begin several major infrastructure projects.

The district launched a website that lets the public track its progress.

The new buildings and renovations are part of a $300 million bond referendum approved by voters last November.

There will be eight construction projects. That includes a new building that will combine the former schools of Hampton Elementary and Peeler Open Elementary, which were destroyed in the April 2018 tornado.

The district will also be rebuilding Foust Elementary as a gaming and robotics magnet school, acquiring land for future projects and making other improvements.

A new website will allow the public to follow the transformation process. Pictures, renderings and other updates will be posted. A tool will also allow users to provide feedback on the projects.

Guilford County Schools has been grappling with how to repair and replace buildings for years.

District leaders say the $300 million in bond spending is just a start, representing a fraction of the $2 billion estimated price tag for construction and renovation identified in a study.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate