Ceremonial groundbreaking to be held for school expansion in St. Charles

St. Charles School District 303 will host a ceremonial groundbreaking on Thursday for new classrooms and building renovations at Richmond Elementary School, $6.35 million in the making.

The upgrades are designed to expand and modernize the school to better accommodate the district’s high enrollment. In recent years, the district altered school boundaries to meet the needs of shifting capacity stresses at each school, including moving several dual language students to Richmond.

Thursday’s event will begin at 4:30 p.m. on the north side of the school at 300 South 12th St. in St. Charles.

Residents, families and students are encouraged to join board members, Superintendent Paul Gordon, Principal Lisa Simoncelli-Bulak, and Executive Director of Facilities Amanda Stuber.

Construction at Richmond 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 will be closed. Additional areas of the campus will be closed from June to August.

The overhaul was approved by the school board in November 2025.

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 are 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.”