The Middle School addition provides a future-focused, collaborative, and student-centered environment, bringing the 6-8th grade experience up to par with the rest of the district facilities. The addition will create efficiencies for district staff as well as students and community members, while also creating a clear separation between the two buildings.
From the exterior, bus traffic, parking and parent drop-off areas will have a new safe and secure configuration. Shared spaces such as band and chorus rooms, the media center, and food service facilities, will be placed along the border of the two buildings to create easy access and efficiencies. By placing these shared spaces along the boundary between middle school and high school, students are able to access these areas directly from their respective schools without having to pass into the other age group areas.
Unsure of whether to remodel their historic middle school, build new on the existing site near their current high school, or build new on a different site, the Maroa-Forsyth School District reached out to get community input via BLDD's community engagement process.
The open and transparent process, complemented by QLEO cost/benefit tool, helped uncover the best approach for their district moving forward while building a strong community vision for the future. The new middle school, attached to the high school, was passionately supported at the polls to approve $30 million in funding.
Following a successful year-long master planning process, designed to address concerns of aging infrastructure and facility inequities, Lanphier High School was identified as a top priority for revitalization among the district's three high schools.
At 50 years old, the Eisenhower High School for the Decatur Public School District was physically worn, and functionally ineffective. The school district conducted a community engagement planning process to determine how best to meet the current and future educational aspirations of the community.
This renovation and new addition project turned into an opportunity to not only unify an outdated and disconnected school building, but also bring unification to a student body and community.