The new Van Wert Elementary School has a targeted completion date of April 30 and a price tag of about $14 million.

The new complex is a segment of a massive building program, with an original estimate of $31 million, that continues in Polk School District as part of the system’s five-year facilities plan.

Van Wert, located on 22 acres of land near the intersection of Springdale Road and the Old Atlanta Highway in Rockmart, comprises 54 rooms designed to replace Goodyear Elementary. It will also house students from Euharlee Kindergarten, which will formally close at the end of this term.

Site work is nearing completion and paving will get underway within the next few weeks, according to Tom Reilly, director of facilities.

Superintendent Marvin Williams said changes are made to the facilities plan as new projects are added or completed. Rockmart Middle and Cedartown High are among those listed in the “checked off” category. Once completed Van Wert will be added to this list.

About 75 percent of the cost of the school system’s new building projects comes from money collected as Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).

“Without SPLOST funds, we could not fund the extensive building program we have launched,” Williams said.

He said building and renovating buildings in Polk School District is due, in part, to current and anticipated growth.

Growth is the reason the facilities program - renovated, new and planned - is important, according to Williams.

Williams has also signed the contract for the new Youngs Grove Elementary, which is scheduled to open in August 2010.

The new school, corner of Antioch and Wooten roads, will be located on about 64 acres of land and is designed to house an estimated 650 students.

School officials are now in the process of discussing options for Eastside Elementary, including adding a new wing.

Williams said Eastside, built for an estimated 600 kids, now houses about 800 children.

Reilly said an expansion at Eastside School would bring decisions on core issues such as a small cafeteria and media center while considering the number of classrooms needed.

“Polk School District (Eastside) is landlocked,” he said. “The campus is large (60 acres), but there is no access to the property other than New Prospect Road.”

School officials also continue to work on ways to resolve the traffic problems at Eastside.

This issue at the existing campus is embedded in the SPLOST, according to Williams.

Meanwhile, negotiations continue for the sale of Euharlee and bids will be accepted for the Goodyear Elementary until 3 p.m. April 9. The existing campus comprises a 55,000 square foot building located on about seven acres.