DUBLIN, CA–Under cloudless skies on Sunday, a large group of residents, school staff and representatives from the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) welcomed the newest extension of classrooms at Dougherty Elementary School. Located at the Northeast corner of the campus, citizens gathered for a moment to hear from a number of speakers and, to then witness a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Those that were elevated to speak were DUSD Board of Trustees President Megan Rouse, Superintendent Dr. Leslie Boozer and Principal Brett Nelson. The presentation was followed by a brief tour in to two of the kinder classrooms – all six of which are connected. The class spaces are large, bright and feature vaulted ceilings. They are all outfitted with flat screen monitors and a dedicated restroom per class. This is the design model that has been previously crafted for Kindergarten classrooms at Frederiksen and Murray Elementary Schools, among other school sites. Additionally, the configuration successfully unifies with new classrooms with those that exist and thereby creates a separate and dedicated teaching space for Transitional Kindergarten students.
Principal Nelson noted that in its original inception, Dougherty was constructed to house up to 550 students. However, in 2017, JDS will welcome significantly more on Monday – 958, to be precise. Overall, this should be regarded as a reflection of what has occurred in DUSD of the past decade. As evidenced by the incoming Class of 2021 at Dublin High School of over 800 students, the largest segment of growth of students in this district is represented by enrollment in the K-5 grades. These students need to be housed and the “vehicle” for achieving this construction at Dougherty Elementary is directly due to the successful passage of both Measures C and E. The foresight of the Board cleared the way for this project into fruition – one that will benefit this school site for many years to come.
While enrollment growth in DUSD will represent a continuing challenge, we are pleased to note that previous plans and solutions are now visible on many of our campuses. OneDublin.org would like to offer a wish for a successful school year in 2017-18 to all of our students and their families!
