Friday, July 04, 2008
The Hillsboro School District and several community members celebrated a milestone event on Tuesday, July 1--- the groundbreaking ceremony for the fifth – and final school to be built under the 2006 construction bond.
“As a Hillsboro School District Board member, and an active supporter of the construction bond campaign, I am thrilled to be a part of this occasion.” Hillsboro School Board member Lisa Poehlitz said. “We thank the voters who approved the bonds to renew existing facilities and build new schools for our students.”
The yet to be named Elementary School #27, will be located at 3963 SW 229th Avenue and open in the fall of 2009, with a capacity to serve 600 students in grades K-6.
Several community leaders, school board members, neighbors, members of the District’s Bond Advisory Panel, and District officials participated in the celebration.
Superintendent Jeremy Lyon described the school’s presence as a potential anchor for development in the South Hillsboro area. Mayor Tom Hughes’s comments reiterated this vision, focusing on Elementary School #27 as the first of many more schools needed as the south Hillsboro population grows over the next decade.
This particular school has been designed by Mahlum Architects with the necessary elements to qualify for a Green Building Certification called LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
These environmentally friendly elements include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, use of materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design. On average, green schools use 33 percent less energy, save 32 percent more water, and reduce solid waste by 74 percent.
“Elementary School #27 will provide an opportunity for students to experience first-hand, the benefits of a green environment,” School Board member Beth Graser said. “Green schools create healthy environments that are conducive to learning, while saving energy, resources and money.”