"Need I remind you [of] all those nice emails the board and I was receiving about the location," said Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan. "So, we should actually be dancing right now."
Her quip was in reference to the extended search for a new Pipkin location, which began in 2023 during the campaign for Proposition S, a bond issue which raised $220 million for the district. The initial location, chosen in March of that year, was a 20.9 acre parcel of land located at 3207 S. Pythian. That site was rejected by Planning & Zoning for being too far out of the way — inaccessible by bike and public transit and therefore not in alignment with Forward SGF, the city's comprehensive development plan.
Though SPS could have overridden the decision, they opted not to. Instead, they began the search for a new location, eventually settling on an 8.86 acre plot previously owned by the Assemblies of God.
The old Pipkin building was in use for at least 100 years. Principal Duane Cox said that the new building will have more space for outdoor activities, but also more room purpose-built classrooms and to expand offerings like the International Baccalaureate program.
The new school isn't the only construction being done by SPS at the moment. The district is also building a new Bingham Elementary and Reed Academy, as well as renovating Bissett elementary, among other projects.
Parents of students attending Bissett, Boyd, Weaver, Weller or York elementary schools should expect to send their kids to the new Pipkin; Lathan said that construction — handled by Crossland Construction — should wrap up in 2027 or sooner.