Midland College Breaks Ground on Pre-K Academy
Midland College in Midland, Texas, recently broke ground on a 60,000-square-foot facility designed to address a shortage of early childhood education centers and a shortage of teachers in the area. The Midland College Pre-K Academy & Center for Teaching Excellence is scheduled to open in fall 2023, according to a news release.
Local news reports that the building will expand the capacity of the existing Pre-K Academy from 68 seats to 288 seats for children ages 3–5. It will also play home to the college’s Early Childhood education bachelor’s degree program, providing classrooms and administrative space.
“The Midland College Pre-K Academy and Center for Teaching Excellence addresses two major challenges facing our community—a shortage of quality early childhood opportunities and a shortage of teachers,” said Midland College President Steve Thomas. “This project is evidence of Midland College’s commitment to provide education and training that help our community grow and prosper.”
The college is partnering with project architect/engineering firm Parkhill and construction contracting firm Adolfson & Peterson Construction. Funding for the project comes through lead gifts of $10 million each from Permian Strategic Partnership and the Scharbauer Foundation, Inc.
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Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].