With several of its elementary and middle schools approaching capacity, members of Warren County Public Schools’ Local Planning Committee met Tuesday to consider the district’s facility priorities over the next four years.

The group, which draws its membership from teachers, principals, parents, local business leaders and district administrators, among other stakeholders, is charged with developing a facilities plan for the district. It helps prioritize and secure state funding for potential projects.

Although the district isn’t planning any new schools in the near future, Chief Financial Officer Chris McIntyre said he anticipates Rich Pond Elementary School being a top priority for the group. The idea is to add 16 classrooms to the school, he said, pushing the school’s current capacity of 600 students.

“We’re going to leap beyond that and take it to about 750,” McIntyre said. The renovation would also add a gym and replace the school’s kitchen and cafeteria with a space that could also double as a second gymnasium.

“It will increase the footprint of that building tremendously,” McIntyre said.

However, the district’s Local Planning Committee will be looking beyond Rich Pond’s needs to the demands of all schools. To inform those decisions, McIntyre said the group will use planning and zoning data to track the growth of residential development in the county.

During the committee’s meeting Tuesday, architects reviewed an assessment of the school district’s facilities.

Drakes Creek Middle School, for example, is approaching 30 years of operation and has tried several strategies to manage its enrollment growth. Several systems within the school, including its roofing, hydronic system, door hardware and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility, need to be upgraded.

Likewise, North Warren Elementary School also qualifies for a major renovation under state guidelines.

Originally built in 1941, the school building struggles to meet all ADA requirements. Its front entry is not accessible and the school’s lower level, adjacent to its library and media center, is inaccessible from within the school without going around the school to a different entrance, the report said. It recommended adding an additional elevator or stair lift, among other improvements.

Additionally, William H. Natcher Elementary School has “substantial water damage” due to roof leaks, which “could cause potential health hazards” if not addressed, the report said. Its cafeteria and computer lab are also undersized per Kentucky Department of Education standards, and its roof needs replacing.

Going forward, McIntyre said the Local Planning Committee should have a plan ready for the district’s board of education to consider in October.

The plan will go through multiple levels of district and state review before final approval. Community members will also be allowed to offer feedback through a forum, but that has not yet been planned.