With just over 16,800 students currently in the Wentzville School District and 400 of those students joining us in the past year, it’s no secret that we need more space.  The district continues to grow steadily and even with Liberty High School opening in 2013, overcrowding still proves to be an issue. But with warmer weather upon us, construction of WSD’s fourth high school has begun, with the school set to open in time for the 2021-2022 school year.

In November 2017, the district purchased 108.9 acres of land located at the northeast corner of West Meyer Road and North Point Prairie in Wentzville, for $3,906,473 (approximately $35,680 per acre). This land was for paid for with revenue from Proposition E 2015 funds, along with District reserves.

The building’s layout plans are very similar to Liberty’s, however, the building’s architects have met with Mr. Nelson and his administrative team to discuss improvements to the design based on their experience with Liberty. Unlike Liberty, the new high school will not be built in phases, as it will be complete for when the school year starts, including two gyms and an auditorium.

“We are constantly looking at our enrollment  – past, present, and future – to try and adequately plan for the growth so that every student who enrolls has the opportunity to have adequate space to learn and grow,” Mary LaPak said, who is the Wentzville School District’s chief communications officer. “This is certainly a challenge, but that is why we rely on experts to conduct demographic studies, as we are currently doing, to help us with projections so we can plan for new schools. The passing of Proposition E in 2015 and 2018 helped the District make tremendous strides in addressing that growth and providing much-needed space for students.” 

In addition to the construction of this new high school, the district just recently purchased 31 acres on Interstate Drive, near South Point Prairie, for $1,405,530 in order to build a new elementary school. A boundary committee will be having a meeting in May to adjust the school boundaries to fit in both schools.

“We are very pleased with the purchase price, given the appraisal and the location of the property,” said CFO Pam Frazier in a press release released on March 27.