Kennewick School District picks south Richland for new elementary

The Kennewick School District has chosen property in the Clearwater Creek development in south Richland for its 16th elementary school.

The school, planned to open in the fall of 2018, will be built between Leslie Road and Steptoe Street next to Claybell Park.

It is the first Kennewick district school to be built in Richland. School district boundaries do not always align with city boundaries.

The district purchased the property for the new school from Hayden Homes in June 2015. Hayden Homes is building the Clearwater Creek Development, which will have about 300 homes.

As the west end of the district continues to grow, the Clearwater Creek site made sense, said Superintendent Dave Bond. It will help alleviate some of the overcrowding at Cottonwood, Ridge View and Sunset View elementary schools.

The district also looked at land off of 10th Avenue near Hansen Park and off Reata Road before making its choice based on factors including access, infrastructure, site characteristics, proximity to current schools, ability of students to walk to school and projected development.

This story was originally published March 9, 2016 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Kennewick School District picks south Richland for new elementary."