Ore. District Breaks Ground on Two New Elementary Schools

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

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Amazon Expands Lockers to More Than 500 College, University Campuses

    Amazon recently announced that its Locker Network now totals more than 750 locations at more than 500 college and university campuses around the United States, according to a company news release.