Wickersham Elementary is getting a $20 million makeover, and students and faculty are celebrating. The school held a groundbreaking assembly Friday.
Work is beginning on an expansion and renovation of the school, which will reopen to students in January 2023. The new section of the building will be constructed opposite the main entrance and provide additional classroom space, particularly for Pre-K and English Language Development. The renovations will modernize the existing building, including adding air conditioning.
As part of the assembly, two student speakers shared their excitement for the new school.
“I love Wickersham because I love my teachers and my principal,” said kindergarten student Milin Tran, reading her prepared speech. “I will miss my old school, but I am excited to see the new Wickersham and the new playground!”
Fifth-grade student Harlem King will be in middle school before the new Wickersham opens to students, but said she hopes “that the new building will be a safe and welcoming place.”
“The best part about Wickersham is that it feels like my second home,” she said. “I learned how to be a better person and believe in myself, and I made life-long friends.”
During renovations, Wickersham students will attend school at the former Buchanan Elementary School, which is being replaced in the fall with the opening of the new Rita Smith-Wade-El Elementary.