Pittsburg breaks ground for all-day K

Dawn McNay told Westside Elementary School students Friday about when she was first elected to the Pittsburg USD 250 Board of Education.
She said a wise teacher came up to her and told her about the need for all-day kindergarten. That teacher, Linda Willis, received her wish Friday, as district personnel and board of education members split up and took part in groundbreakings at each of the four elementary schools simultaneously.
“It’s a special day,” said Ruth Miller, Westside principal.
A day that will lead to all of the schools having the option for all-day kindergarten for all USD 250 students. Pittsburg patrons approved the measure by about a 54 to 47 margin at an April election. For that, McNay, and Westside students, thanked the voters. Westside students held up individual letters that read “Thank you Pittsburg for making our school great.”
“We are extremely pleased that the patrons of Pittsburg Community Schools supported both of these ground breaking changes with the approval of these construction projects,” said Gary Price, USD 250 superintendent. “Thank you, Pittsburg, for that decision.”
That decision comes with a cost of $6.1 million. Five-and-a-half million dollars of that will add 25 total classrooms, plus restrooms and safe spaces through each of the four schools. Classroom furnishings for the additions, the purchase of two houses near Westside and paving the parking lot at Westside brought the total up to $5.93 million. The purchase of the houses is meant to bring back some playground space which the school will lose through adding classrooms. The rest of the issue consists of a $170,000 contingency.
Each of the diggers, made up of district staff, three Westside students and three students at the Family Resource Center, Al Mendez, board member and Blake Benson, Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce president, had a different tool for tossing up the dirt, which McNay said emphasized the differences in tools, values and beliefs that made up Pittsburg schools.
The diggers then shoveled dirt into a bucket, which will be kept for later. Price said that dirt would then be used to plant a tree on the property.
“It’s a great day,” McNay said. “Today, we celebrate the fact that all students will have the option for all-day kindergarten. Isn’t that exciting?”

Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134