STEELE CREEK NEWS

Elementary School Construction Underway

(July 27, 2008) Construction has begun on two new elementary schools in Steele Creek.

One is located north of Dixie River Road in the Berewick community. The school is located on the site of the future Berewick Regional Park. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education approved the design contract for the new school in January 2008 and awarded the contract to Hendrick Construction in June 2008. Construction should be complete in time for the school to open in August 2009.

Construction activity on July 24, 2008 - Photo courtesy of Berewick

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will hold public workshops regarding enrollment and boundaries in the fall. Students living in Berewick currently are assigned to Berryhill Elementary School, but the new Berewick elementary school also will relieve overcrowding at Steele Creek Elementary School.

The Berewick Regional Park site includes 195 acres. The first phase, including the school site, contains 38 acres and will include three baseball/softball fields and a restroom building. The elementary school gym will be used by the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department as a recreation center. Completion of the park's first phase is scheduled for December 2009.  

See First Phase of Berewick Regional Park to Open at the End of 2009 (April 5,2008) and a map of the Berewick Regional Park Master Plan. Also see a map of the school  location here: Future Berewick Elementary School on WikiMapia. (Hover your cursor over the "+" at the center of the map.) For construction information, see the New Berewick Elementary School Construction Web Page.

Construction also has begun on the second new school, located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Hamilton and Smith Roads, just a quarter of a mile from the South Carolina line. The general contractor for this school is Beam Construction. See the New Hamilton Smith Elementary School Construction Web Page. Also see a map of the school location here: Future Hamilton Smith Elementary School on WikiMapia. (Hover your cursor over the "+" at the center of the map.)

Parents of affected students will have an opportunity for input regarding enrollment and boundaries for this school at public workshops to be held in fall 2008, and the school is scheduled to open in fall 2009. The new Hamilton Smith elementary school will help relieve overcrowding at Lake Wylie and Winget Park Elementary Schools.

The interim school names in current use are temporary. Public input for the permanent names will be solicited after the principals are named in spring 2009.

Construction funds for the new schools was approved by voters in November 2007. This school bond also included funds for a third elementary school in Steele Creek. Located adjacent to the Palisades community, this school is scheduled to open in fall 2010. At that time, attendance zones for the new Hamilton-Smith elementary school and other southern Steele Creek elementary schools will change again.

The Board of Education recently approved purchase of a site for this school. A new high school, expected to open in 2012, also will be on this site. See Future York Road Elementary School on WikiMapia. (Hover your cursor over the "+" at the center of the map.)

To see renderings of the two new schools, see The Steele Creek Blog - First Look at New Schools.