Woodside Elementary celebrates new TK and kindergarten classrooms

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A hundred children, parents and community members gathered at Woodside Elementary School on Aug. 18, even though school hadn’t begun yet. They gathered a day early to celebrate the school’s grand opening of its brand-new transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms. 

Woodside Elementary’s youngest learners will begin the school year in newly constructed classrooms that replace outdated buildings from the 1960s. Families got a sneak peek at the school district’s completed project before returning early the next morning to start a fresh school year. 

The completion of the project marks the Woodside Elementary School District’s first major project funded by Measure E, a $35 million bond measure that passed with 65% voter approval  in 2024. Others are in the works.

“This investment was a vital step in our long-term facilities plan,” said Superintendent Steve Frank. “While this building is a jewel that came in under budget, it is just the beginning.”

Three kindergarten and two TK classrooms make up a new wing behind the school office. The rooms are spacious, filled with natural light and offer various learning tools for the students to learn through play. Each classroom also includes a bathroom designed for 4- to 6-year-olds to use. 

Over the years, student enrollment has steadily increased and with the state’s requirement to allow all 4-year-olds into TK, the school was in need of more classrooms. 

This year, Woodside is starting with 420 students, a jump from the 369 students at the end of the 2024-25 school year. There will also be three classrooms per grade to maintain smaller class sizes while accommodating growth. 

During a walkthrough at the grand opening ceremony, parents were in awe as they walked along a marked path connecting through the five classrooms. 

“It looks like a hotel,” said one parent as she walked into the rooms.

In Katie Lippert’s kindergarten classroom, she has a dress-up corner, a carpet area in the front of the classroom and plenty of toys to play with. From art supplies and books to puzzles and toys, Lippert said the majority of the things in her room were donated by community members. 

This will be Lippert’s first year teaching kindergarten after leading third-grade classrooms for 16 years at Woodside Elementary. 

“For years, our old classrooms served us well and held so many sweet memories, but now those memories will continue to grow right alongside with an updated learning space that has truly been elevated,” said kindergarten teacher Tracy Reilly in a speech. 

According to school board President Jenny Hayden, the new classrooms meet kindergarten facility state standards, meaning they are at least 1,350 square feet and include a built-in bathroom. 

In the back of the kindergarten and TK wing, a newly constructed playground is also available to be shared with the school’s preschool. Students appeared to be thrilled about the new playground and classrooms. Dozens flocked to the play structure and others began exploring the toys in their future classrooms. 

And this is the beginning of multiple facilities improvement projects that Woodside Elementary has planned for the next year. This summer, the school replaced its roofs, gutters and HVAC systems and installed upgraded bell and fire alarm systems, said Frank. 

Next summer, the school district plans to replace the old turf in the fields to improve drainage, upgrade its lower and upper playgrounds, and renovate its amphitheater. Frank also announced that work to upgrade McCovey Field with new stadium seating, batting and pitching cages and more will begin in late fall, thanks to funding from the Woodside School Foundation. 

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