Cedar Fork Elementary Ribbon Cutting
July 24, 2003--The Wake County Public School System and the Town of Morrisville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department held a ribbon cutting and open house for the new Cedar Fork Elementary School and community center Thursday, July 24. After the ribbon cutting, Neal Conley, with Small Kane Architects, Inc., led the public on a tour of the campus.
Morrisville Mayor Gordon Cromwell, Wake County Board of Education
member Patti Head, Town Commissioner Jan Faulkner, Kingswood
Elementary School Principal Sue Sisson, and others raved about
the new campus. 
"I'm so thankful to be here in this beautiful, wonderful, amazing school," said Sisson, whose school will be housed at Cedar Fork Elementary for the 2003-04 school year while the Kingswood facility is renovated.
The following year, Northwoods Elementary School will use Cedar Fork Elementary as swing space while the Northwoods campus is renovated. Cedar Fork will open with its own student body for the 2005-06 school year.
Cedar Fork Elementary is a new Small Kane Architects, PA prototype, or reusable design, which will also be seen at Carpenter and Forestville Road elementary schools in the future. Built for 601 students, the classroom building (one of its wings is two-story) covers 82,994 square feet and the community center spans 18,643 square feet. In addition, the elementary has two multi-purpose fields and a community center building complete with a full-size gym, two classrooms, conference room, lounge, and bathrooms.
"The new school and community center mean so much for the people of Morrisville," said Faulkner. "This is a great example of what can happen when we all work together for the good of the children and community."
Head was also impressed by the campus and proud to be a part of the celebration. "I look around and see a beautiful new building. But I also see a great learning environment that supports today's educational programs and those who will fill this building," said Head. "I see a high quality school that will contribute to high student achievement."
Funding comes from WCPSS PLAN 2000 building program and the Town of Morrisville. Morrisville contributed close to $2 million towards the design, full-size gym/community center, parking, site landscaping, and rock removal. Total project cost is about $12.7 million, and includes furniture, equipment, all fees, and the extra funding.
Sometime in the future, the county plans to complete two ball fields and possibly add a public library.