With passage of Phase I of the Master Facilities Plan, the Westlake Schools are moving forward on a much-needed building project that will include:

• Renovating and adding space at Lee Burneson Middle School to turn it into an intermediate school for grades 5-6. Estimated completion: Winter 2013/2014.
• Building a new middle school for grades 7-8 near the existing building. Estimated completion: Fall 2013.
• Rebuilding an extensive portion of Westlake High School while preserving the 2005 additions. Estimated completion: Fall 2013.

Phase II will involve consolidation through renovating the existing Parkside Intermediate School into a PreK-4 building, and building two new elementary schools. This will be revisited with the community before being placed on the ballot. It is important to note the district will have a tax millage drop-off in 2017 that potentially would equal the cost of implementing Phase II, amounting to a tax neutral situation for the community.

You can always learn more about the project by visiting the Westlake Schools' construction blog at http://westlakefacilities.blogspot.com/. We'll also post updates on Westlake Patch.