Members of St. Charles School District 303 were excited to dig in their shovels during the groundbreaking ceremony for new classrooms and renovations at Richmond Elementary School.

The $6.35 million project was approved to better accommodate the large student growth within the district.

Superintendent Paul Gordon, Richmond Principal Lisa Simoncelli-Bulak, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education Jarrod Buxton, Executive Director of Facilities Amanda Stuber and board member Kate Bell celebrated with families and students on Feb. 19.

The school is located at 300 South 12 St. in St. Charles.

The upgrades are designed to expand and modernize the school and help address the district’s high enrollment. In recent years, the district altered school boundaries to address shifting capacity at each school, including moving several dual-language students to Richmond.

Construction at the site is expected to begin later this month. Parts of the school’s campus will be closed off during construction.

“This will not affect any of our regular afternoon dismissal procedures, and we will work closely with the contractor to ensure there is minimal disruption to the school day,” Simoncelli-Bulak said.

From February through August, the parking lot on the north side of campus along Indiana Street will be closed. From June to August, additional areas of the campus will be closed.

The overhaul was approved by the board on Nov. 10.

Included within the construction are two new classrooms, additional auxiliary spaces and interior renovations. Crews are also replacing the gym flooring and part of the building’s roof. Outside the building, sidewalks and asphalt pavement is being improved.

All construction is projected to be completed by August 2026, just in time for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Simoncelli-Bulak said the expansion will improve capabilities in learning and enrichment.

“The addition provides greater flexibility to respond to enrollment fluctuations without disrupting instructional quality or overextending existing spaces,” Simoncelli-Bulak said. “The added auxiliary space allows students to be served more flexibly, supporting small-group instruction and responsive services as needs change.”

Simoncelli-Bulak said the new improvements situate the school nicely for any future shifts in enrollment.

Upgrading other schools

As part of the already approved project, Wredling Middle School is receiving a new gym floor.

The price tag for the new floor is running around $360,000.

This brings the total project costs, including both Wredling and Richmond to about $6.4 million.