Both Kermit King and Pat Butler Elementary Schools in Paso Robles are receiving campus expansions with the start of the new school year.
The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District hosted the first of two ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the new playgrounds and expanded learning classrooms on August 20.
The first ribbon cutting was hosted at Kermit King as students helped to unveil the new developments.
New classrooms will more than double the capacity of after-school programs at both schools, from 50 students to 110.
In addition to new classrooms, Kermit King Elementary School cut the ribbon on a new ADA-accessible playground featuring soft surfacing and equipment designed to create welcoming spaces for students with a variety of abilities.
“It takes over a year to plan for putting buildings on campus. So that's been a discussion for a long time. And then the playground, it needed to be replaced,” said Director of Expanded Learning Programs Kim Gaspar. “So we are here just to celebrate that we have more space for our kids after school, and we have a playground for students that's new and improved and updated, where they can hang out with their friends and have a great time.”
Additions at both schools have been made possible through California’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), which has helped expand PRJUSD’s after-school program in the past.
Pat Butler Elementary School will also host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new playground, classrooms, and garden on August 21 at 2:30 p.m.
