Mich. District Begins Work on Two New Middle Schools
The Bloomfield Hills School District in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has begun work on two new facilities in the district. Last year, voters approved a $200 million bond in a larger effort to scale back the number of district middle schools from three to two. Renovations began in May to convert a closed high school, Lahser High, into a middle school by fall 2023. And a groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 29 for an expansion of the existing Bloomfield Hills Middle School, which is also projected to take two years to complete.
Because the work on Bloomfield Hills Middle School is an expansion project, students will be able to attend school in the meantime with minimal disruptions. The district’s other two existing middle schools, East Hills and West Hills, will reopen as elementary schools. The existing Lone Pine Elementary will relocate to the facility currently occupied by West Hills, and the current Eastover Elementary will move into East Hills’ current building.
“We’re here to celebrate the next phase in a really exciting project for our district,” said Superintendent Patrick Watson at the July 29 groundbreaking ceremony. “This will take our district and community into the next several decades.”
Once the reshuffling is complete, the district will have one high school, two middle schools and four elementary schools. Officials say the reconfiguration will help the district address maintenance and building upkeep issues in older facilities, as well as provide more modern amenities to students. According to the current plan, all students will attend school in their relocated facilities for the fall 2023 semester. Construction of ancillary support spaces will continue through fall 2024.
The new facility at Bloomfield Hills Middle School—which will likely be renamed—will feature 114,000 square feet of renovated spaces and 40,000 square feet of new space. The former Lahser High School will feature 90,000 square feet of renovation and 88,000 square feet of new construction.
About the Author
Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].