Western Branch school's expansion will end crammed sessions

Chesapeake

Renovation of the most crowded high school in the city could begin as soon as May, school officials said Monday night.

Work on Western Branch High School should be complete in 2010.

The additions and upgrades will cost nearly $28.9 million.

The goal is to extend the life of the building by 20 to 25 years, said John Maddux, CEO of Rodriguez Ripley Maddux and Motley Architects.

Located off Bruce Road in the northwestern portion of the city, the crowded school needs new ceilings, electrical and mechanical systems, and lots of classrooms.

Plans include a two-story ninth-grade wing, a new band room and a culinary center. New windows that capture daylight and extensive rewiring will help make the school as technologically up to date as the recently completed Grassfield High School.

New parking lots will allow students to park on campus rather than on nearby residential streets, and a new bus loop will improve safety.

With the additions, the school will be able to hold 2,400 students.

Already, 2,264 students attend Western Branch, 564 more than the school was built to hold. Thirty-six portable classrooms accommodate the overflow.

Although student enrollment is not increasing citywide, it is expected to continue to climb in Western Branch. New residential developments have helped drive up numbers, bringing in about 300 new students between 2001 and 2006.

Concerned about the large class sizes at the middle schools that feed into Western Branch and that a delay would increase the cost of the project, board members unanimously approved the work and the May starting date.

Superintendent W. Randolph Nichols will ask the city this week to appropriate $5 million so work can begin.

Amy Couteé, (757) 222-5216, amy.coutee@pilotonline.com