Magnolia Speech School Breaks Ground on New Facility

The Magnolia Speech School in Jackson, Miss., held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Oct. 22, for a new facility. According to a press release, the 30,000-square-foot facility will be designed to accommodate the needs of children with hearing loss and communication disorders. Advanced technology will be installed throughout the building.

The facility will integrate construction materials and educational and therapeutic technology. Facilities will include the expansion of the outpatient services clinic. The project will also move the school about 15 miles north from its current location in Jackson, Miss., to Madison, Miss.

Magnolia Speech School groundbreaking
Photo courtesy of The Tell Agency

“We are thrilled to establish the new school in Madison,” said Valerie Linn, Executive Director of the Magnolia Speech School. “This location makes us more accessible to families and makes our work more visible in the community. The new school allows us to offer updated resources and technology to students and families who need our specialized and unique instruction.”

The school launched the public phase of its “Building Hope” campaign at the beginning of October, and it has been fundraising toward an 80% funding goal during the last two years. The project’s general contractor, Brasfield & Gorrie, held a golf tournament on Monday, Oct. 25, to benefit the project.

“Brasfield & Gorrie believes in building strong communities, and we are thrilled to build this facility that will serve local families and those who relocate from around the country to attend this specialized school,” said Ryan Springer, Vice President and Division Manager at Brasfield & Gorrie.

The school board partnered with Dean and Dean/Associates Architects and Mackey Mitchell Architects for the project’s design.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.