BEAVERTON, Ore. – The first major school building project of the $680 million bond passed by voters in 2014 is almost complete.
The new school will first serve as a “swing” or temporary school for Beaverton students as schools are demolished and rebuilt by the district over the next several years.
First in to the school on NW 118th Avenue this September will be students from Vose Elementary School, along with 6-8th graders from Springville K-8.
The school was designed and built in about 28 months. It is roughly 165,000 square feet, and can serve up to 1,100 students and 75 staff. It sits on 16.3 acres.
“It’s exciting, we’re on schedule, we’re going to open and soon there’ll be kids running through these hallways,” said Beaverton School District Project Manager Scott Johnson, who is a graduate or the district he now works for.
The design utilizes lots of natural light, wide halls, meeting areas, and glass walls into many rooms, from classrooms to media center.
“We want to expose students to all sorts of interests, so when they walk the corridor they can peak into choir or media center, computer center or art. So maybe they become inspired to pick some of these up in the future,” said Rene Berndt, of Mahlum Architects.
The school is also built to handle a major earthquake and be back up and running quickly. It features an oversized generator so the facility can serve as an emergency center in the event of a major quake.
The school will house students from various schools being rebuilt, until it is named as a permanent middle school for the 2020-2021 school year.