Jefferson City Board of Education votes to make Thorpe Gordon Elementary a STEM school
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Jefferson City Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved to turn Thorpe Gordon Elementary into its first STEM school.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Troy Hogg spoke before the vote to give an idea of what to expect with the changes to becoming a STEM school.
Hogg said the school is expected to be named Thorpe Gordon STEM Academy and that the changes are expected to be an ongoing process and may take up to a year to fully plan and execute.
This would coincide with the renovations already scheduled for the building. The classroom/building capacity will not change.
The district plans on having a designated STEM lab connected to the library so students can work on projects.
Thorpe Gordon was chosen for this project due to its proximity to Jefferson City High School, Lincoln University and the Nichols Career Center.
"I think one important component for a STEM school to be successful is that it has to be connected to a larger community," Hogg said. "It's not just about that individual school."
Hogg also said the new school offers an opportunity to test STEM curriculum that the district can use it in its other schools.
