LIBERTY TOWNSHIP — Lakota's fourth junior school will be built on 85 acres at the northwest corner of Lesourdsville-West Chester and Princeton roads in Liberty Township.

        The Lakota Board of Education voted Tuesday to buy part of the VanGorden farm for $22,500 per acre. Money to buy the land comes from a 6.74-mill combination levy, which includes a 1.84-mill bond issue, approved by voters last month.

        The $44.5 million provided by the bond issue will be used to build the junior school, slated to open in 2003, and the district's 11th elementary school, set to open in 2002. It also will pay for more classroom computers, more classrooms, a weight room and field house at Lakota East and West high schools.

        “It's absolutely a perfect location geographically for the position of a fourth junior school,” said Sandy Wheatley, president of the Lakota Board of Education. “Our relationship with the VanGordens has been a special one. We've worked long and hard to work out a fair deal for everybody, and that's a good feeling.”

        Superintendent Kathleen Klink said she was pleased with the chosen site and the VanGordens' willingness to sell part of the farm, which had been in the family for more than 150 years. Their home, which is not part of the land the school board is buying, was built in 1823 by the Woodruff family, whose daughter married Simeon VanGorden. The land then remained in the VanGorden family.

        “We're pleased to open a new chapter in Liberty Township history by becoming a part of this property's heritage,” Mrs. Klink said. “This also allows us to locate a second junior school in the northern part of the school district, to better serve this growing area.”

        The school will be built for about 800 students, Mrs. Klink said. It likely will be constructed close to Princeton Road, on the western side of the property, leaving the rest of the property available for future use.

        “This will allow two junior schools to feed to East and two junior schools to feed to West (high schools),” Mrs. Klink said.

        Mrs. Klink said negotiations are continuing on land for the elementary school. Parents, staff and community members will be asked for their ideas for the design and features in each new school.

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