GLENPOOL, Okla. — Glenpool is nearing completion of a brand new lower elementary school.
Superintendent Jerry Olansen said over the last five years, their student body has grown by 450. Over the next five years, they expect to gain 500 new students. That is about an 18-percent increase.
"We know it's coming," Olansen said. "There are hundreds of houses coming to our community in the near future and we are trying to get ready for that. It's a big challenge."
Olansen also brought up the new St. Francis Hospital that opened last year. He said Glenpool is one of the fastest growing communities in Oklahoma.
Building a new school is just one way they are preparing for it.
The campus will be the first one ever built on a separate property from their main campus. It is located near 144th Street and Elwood.
The new campus will house preschoolers and kindergarten students. That will allow students on the main campus to shift around and make room for growth.
Glenpool Lower Elementary will open for the 2019-20 school year. Olansen expects 450 students to start there in August. He said there is room for more students, as well.
The modern campus features 24 classrooms, a playground, and a full-size gym. It will also have a cafeteria that doubles as a safe room.
"We can get all of our students and staff in the facility and protect them from inclement weather, so we are excited about that," Olansen said.
Funding to build the school came from a $16.5 million bond proposal that passed in 2017.
Olansen said the campus is expected to be complete by the end of April.
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