Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Fayette County Board of Education has approved “Wellington Elementary School” as the name of the new facility under construction at 3280 Keithshire Way.

The school is on the south side of town near the Wellington neighborhood and Wellington Park, where native gardens, wildlife and walking trails will provide additional learning opportunities.

Wellington Elementary, which will open in August 2011, is set to be the most energy efficient and sustainable school in Lexington. The nearly 76,000-square-foot facility will itself be a teaching tool as solar energy panels, a rainwater capture and reuse system, a solar hot water system, permeable pavers, rain gardens and automatic electric lighting controls will be visible to students and provide opportunities for classroom involvement and instruction. Wellington will also offer an outdoor classroom, designated recycling areas and native landscaping.

The school’s cutting-edge features will go beyond the “green” physical structure. Principal Meribeth Gaines says the combination of core content and focus on 21^st century skills will redefine rigor, preparing students for a challenging and rapidly evolving world.

Online:

Wellington’s Web page on the FCPS site: www.fcps.net/wellington

The school’s own website: www.wellington.fcps.net/