Since 1911, York Elementary School has been the heart of Nichols Street. The school’s impact and history were on full display at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony March 27, 2023.
“As we appreciate this new building, we want to commemorate York’s legacy in this community and celebrate its transformation,” said Superintendent Grenita Lathan. “We look forward to serving generations of students here in the future.”
Standing on the steps of the new school’s entrance, more than 150 community members gathered to celebrate the official opening of the new York Elementary School. Students participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the beginning of the next chapter for York.
“This school was designed and built with York learners in mind, and in this new building, learning has already begun,” said Shondra Fetter, York principal. “Our teachers worked tirelessly over Spring Break to ensure that on students’ first day in this new building, it was ready for them to learn. You’ll be so impressed to see that this school looks like we’ve been here for years, and I’m so grateful to the York staff for their commitment to students and their learning, wherever they are.”
The $21 million facility features a variety of modern, collaborative spaces designed for interactive learning, as well as spaces for the York school community. All of these spaces were completed years before it might have been. Thanks to careful fiscal management and lower than budgeted overall costs on the 2019 Proposition S projects, SPS was able to expedite the construction of the new York Elementary.
“The Board of Education has prioritized quality learning environments for all our students, and through Proposition S, we were able to make that a reality,” said Dr. Denise Fredrick, Board of Education president.