Richland breaking ground on Jefferson Elementary

Richland School District will celebrate the opening of its newest school Friday.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Jefferson Elementary School is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday. The ceremony is taking place north of the existing building. Community members are invited to attend.

Pasco-based Big D’s Construction is removing debris left from the demolition of a wing of the former school along with preparing for the new building’s foundation.

The school board is expected to decide in June on a contractor to build the school. The 65,000-square-foot elementary school is scheduled to open in August 2018 and house 537 students.

The school is the final project included with the district’s 2013 bond.

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Richland breaking ground on Jefferson Elementary."