A look at early childhood center

For several months the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) on 34th Street was just a lot of dirt. Now the foundations for a school are being laid.

When finished, next summer, the ECDC should be one of the most energy efficient schools in the state of Oklahoma as well as being one of the finest facilities for early childhood education.

James Kerr of Kerr 3 Design Group, Inc., said that the ECDC is 68,000 square feet and will have 39 classrooms spread out over three wings.

There is a separate wing for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Each of the classrooms has a restroom, which Kerr said is a good thing to have with so many small children.

There is also enough space for another classroom to be added onto each wing if necessary. When the school is first completed, Kerr said the extra space will be covered and can be used as a drop-off point for parents.

There will also be a bus loop and fire lane encircling the whole building. Kerr said that 34th Street will be widened so a turning lane into the school can be added.

Parking problems should be alleviated as an overflow parking lot will be created and cars can parallel park around the bus loop when activities are held at the school.

The ECDC will have a large cafeteria, music room, stage, library and a gym, which can be used for more events besides just basketball.

Kerr said the gym will have a synthetic rubber floor, which will make it more durable for other uses outside of basketball. He said the same material is being used on the three new gymnasiums built at the elementary schools.

Besides the gym floor, the actual flooring used in the ECDC will be different from typical schools. Kerr said carpet tile will be installed. This substance looks like carpet, but is cut into squares so that if something is spilled on one it can be removed and replaced by another.

He also said that at the bottom of each of the tiles is an arrow so that the carpet is all facing the same direction. He said every couple of years it is recommended that the tiles are shifted so that the material does not wear out as quickly as normal carpet would.

All of these new innovations are being done so that the building can become Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. Kerr said that LEED certified buildings focus on helping the environment and being energy efficient.

“The focus with this school is mainly on being energy efficient,” Kerr said. “They’ll have to pay a premium initially, but it will save them money in the long run.”

The item that will cost the most to install, but should provide the largest benefit in the future, is the geothermal heating and cooling systems.

Geothermal units will also be installed in the elementary schools that are currently under construction. Unfortunately, the units for the elementary schools are being re-bid right now and have caused some delays in construction.

Superintendent Dr. Vickie Williams said that had the geothermal units been able to be installed, construction on the three elementary schools would have been done before next school year.

As it is, Dr. Williams expects all construction at the elementary schools to be done by fall break. She said construction at the media centers should be done before the school year starts this year.