Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Ore. District Breaks Ground on Two New Elementary Schools

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/19/21

The Hermiston School District, located in Hermiston, Ore., celebrated the groundbreaking of two new elementary schools last week. One replacement facility and one new facility are both set to open in the Eastern Oregon district in 2022.

The replacement facility is a new home for Rocky Heights Elementary. It will have a capacity of 600 students and measure in at 73,500 square feet. The $23-million building will be one story and contain 24 classrooms, a library, a gym, and other student common areas. The building will be constructed at the former site of the current school’s athletic fields. Students will continue attending school in the existing building for the 2021-22 academic year until the new school opens in fall 2022. The existing Rocky Heights Elementary was built in 1962 and faces a multitude of maintenance and security issues, according to the East Oregonian.

The other construction is for a new elementary school to be known as Loma Vista Elementary School. Loma Vista will also have capacity for 600 students and have a layout very similar to the new Rocky Heights Elementary. The school is scheduled to open in time for the 2022-23 academic year.

Funds for the construction of both buildings come from an $87.2 million bond that passed in 2019. The bond will also fund a new softball complex for the district, a new classroom annex at Hermiston High School, the purchase of additional property for future construction projects, and upgrades to parking areas at several schools in the district. The district is partnering with BBT Architects for design and Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co. for construction.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.

  • Cleveland High School Breaks Ground on Modernization

    Portland Public Schools in Portland, Ore., recently announced that construction has begun on a modernization project for Cleveland High School, according to a news release. The existing building will be replaced with a new, 300,000-square-foot facility at the same site.

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.