Today, Frederick County Public Schools commemorated the new Waverley Elementary School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The school will open to students later this month for the 2022-23 school year.
The new replacement school more than doubles the current State Rated Capacity (SRC), accommodating enrollment projections while creating a modern, flexible learning environment for students. Since 1969, Waverley Elementary School had shared an 18.2-acre campus with the Rock Creek School. However, after a 2018 feasibility study, FCPS decided to build a new Rock Creek School in Walkersville and, therefore, use all the existing campus in Frederick solely for the new Waverley Elementary School to best serve the community with a new and safe state-of-the-art facility that is central to the growing residential area around it.
The modular design of the school stems from GWWO’s prototype, which allows for adaptability to varying site conditions but also generates a layout that promotes effective individual and group learning with the inclusion of dynamic spaces, such as multiple collaborative spaces of various sizes and centralized support for the core learning spaces. The classrooms converge at the central media center, which is surrounded by the bi-level cafeteria/gymnasium, art/music classrooms, and admin areas that can be used for specialized programs. Classrooms were designed for maximum utilization with a reduction of built-in casework, making them more agile and dynamic for flexible learning. Additionally, the standardized design of the classrooms provides equity and building efficiency.
The building was designed to achieve LEED Silver certification through sustainable features that include recycled and recyclable low-emitting materials, high-efficiency mechanical systems, LED lamps, and an efficient, thermally resistant building envelope with a high solar-reflectivity roofing membrane. Being able to redevelop an already developed site, rather than disturbing a new one, also adds to the sustainability of the new Waverley Elementary School.