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WL school board considering future space needs

Fourth grade students in the West Lafayette Community School Corporation could be housed at a different building in the future. Moving them to Cumberland School is one possible solution to space issues at Happy Hollow, which now holds 4th through 6th grades. Another option is adding classrooms onto Happy Hollow.

School Board President Alan Karpick says the corporation is in the early stages of addressing its space issues.

"To be able to properly take care of, from a capacity standpoint, the students that we have here and potentially prepare for continued growth."

The idea of moving 4th grade to Cumberland would involve a kindergarten or early childhood center on district property at Salisbury Street and Lindberg Road.

Karpick says the district has added 207 students over the past five years. He says more growth in the coming years will start to strain the system and increase class sizes.

"That is something that is of concern and we have to begin to address, begin to have that conversation, and begin to inform our public that this is something we need to be looking at."

He says the school district's reputation has always attracted young families. Karpick thinks the challenge is accommodating those families who move in while keeping the quality of education high.