Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Wisconsin District Completes $35M Middle School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 12/06/21

The Burlington Area School District in Burlington, Wis., recently announced that construction is complete on a new middle school. Karcher Middle School covers about 145,000 square feet and has a capacity of more than 700 students grades six through eight. The facility was designed by Plunkett Raysich Architects and built by general contractor and construction management company Scherrer Construction.

The new facility replaces the existing Karcher Middle School, which was built in 1924 and required so many upgrades that building a new facility was the more feasible option. The new school features amenities like modern security features, a gymnasium, fitness rooms and locker rooms, a library, staff office space and a cafeteria. It will also have dedicated classroom space for STEM, art, special education, band and choir.

“The Burlington Area School District continues to grow, and we’re excited to be able to help them do that with the best equipment and learning technology available,” said Dan Bay, senior project manager of Scherrer Construction. “As learning continues to evolve, Scherrer is proud to be at the forefront of creating enhanced learning spaces for children to excel in school.”

The new middle school is part of a larger plan to make improvements across the district. The design and construction teams, as well as the school district, also faced delays related to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As is common for many companies in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting supply chain issues continues to be a challenge in the building sector,” Bay said. “Delays in both materials and manpower impacted our overall schedule. however, due to our strong project team and communication efforts, we were able to hit critical milestones and still finish the project ahead of schedule. As a result of completing the project early, we were able to vet out any issues with the new facility prior to the owner taking occupancy.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • 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.