C.W. Driver Completes $38M Middle School Reconstruction

Builder C.W. Driver Companies recently announced the completion of a $38-million reconstruction project for Menifee Valley Middle School in Menifee, Calif. The project involved converting more than 71,000 square feet of the campus into a magnet school for visual and performing arts, including adding two new classroom buildings, restoring the Visual and Performing Arts Center, building an open-concept library and repairing locker rooms, according to a news release.

Workers converted a series of temporary portables into permanent classrooms and lab spaces to create an academic courtyard. New spaces include music and choir spaces and a renovated stage in the Visual and Performing Arts Center. The reconstructed campus also features outdoor learning areas and active learning spaces called Flex Labs.

Menifee Valley Middle School
Photo Courtesy of Zack Benson Photography

“By leveraging decades of K–12 construction experience, we were proud to deliver a cutting-edge campus that will serve the growing Menifee community both now and well into the future,” said Eric Metzger, project manager at C.W. Driver Companies. “The tactful modernization of Menifee Valley Middle School allows for the space to adapt as educational and enrollment needs evolve over time.”

Other academic-based renovations include large classroom windows for increased natural light and flexible configurations and collaboration spaces in the library. Athletic renovations include locker room updates like ADA upgrades, improvements to AV capabilities and adding a washer/dryer.

“We carefully considered and incorporated input from our school community during the planning and construction phases of the reconstruction,” said Dr. Jennifer Root, superintendent at Menifee Union School District. “The result is a beautiful, collective effort from which we will teach and encourage students to live out the district’s vision of 'Engaging Young Minds for Limitless Futures' for years to come.”

Menifee Valley Middle School also partnered with BakerNowicki Design Studio for the project’s design.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • LAN, Inc. Opens Office in College Station, Texas

    Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) recently announced the opening of a new office in College Station, Texas, to support its regional client base, according to a news release. The organization provides engineering, design, and program management services for water, wastewater, transportation, stormwater, and education clients in the Brazos Valley.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • iPark 87

    Building a Future-Focused Career and Technical Education Center

    A district superintendent shares his team's journey to aligning student passions with workforce demands, and why their new CTE center could be a model for districts nationwide.