The students who attend Lakewood Elementary School in Rockville and William Tyler Page Elementary School in Silver Spring will begin the 2003-2004 school year on Tuesday, August 26, in completely modernized buildings.

Lakewood, originally built in 1968, will reopen with approximately 510 students. The $13 million modernization increased the building’s capacity by more than 100 students and added a gymnasium. The City of Rockville contributed to the cost of the gymnasium, which will be available for community use.

William Tyler Page was modernized at a cost of $11.4 million, extending its capacity from 466 to accommodate a projected enrollment of 516 students. The facility, built in 1965, had an existing gymnasium. Approximately 400 students will attend the school this fall.

During the construction period, which generally lasts at least 18 months for elementary school modernizations, Lakewood students attended classes at the North Lake Center, and Page students were at the Fairland Center.