New $40.6 million Fayette County middle school now planned larger and for more kids

Fayette County’s proposed new $40.6 million middle school on Polo Club Boulevard is now anticipated to serve more students and would be larger than originally planned.

The new proposal was included in Thursday’s Fayette Public Schools school board planning meeting agenda which said the new middle school would open in August 2023.

An 110,521 square foot middle school had been planned to serve 900 students. However, the district 2020 Local Planning Committee recommended the enrollment be increased to 1,200 students due to the growth trends in Fayette County, which will increase the building square footage to approximately 140,479 square feet.

Kentucky Department of Education officials are reviewing the most recent plans

Project cost estimates are based on the most recent construction bids and include: design and financing fees; furnishings; surveys; and other miscellaneous project costs.

JRA Architects was approved as the design consultant for the project at the Board’s October 26, 2020 meeting.

Fayette County Public Schools board in April voted to buy about 47 acres on Polo Club Boulevard for the new middle and a new elementary school.

The unanimous vote was to authorize the purchase of the land at a cost of $275,000 per acre.

The newest middle school building in the district is currently Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, which opened in August 2004. Since then, major renovations were completed at four other middle schools, including Bryan Station, Jessie Clark, Leestown and Tates Creek middle, district officials said in April.

At least eight of the district’s 12 middle schools have been projected to have enrollments this year at above 100 percent capacity.