Add as a preferred source on Google

Massachusetts District Begins Work on $66.7M Middle School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/31/22

Braintree Public Schools in Braintree, Mass., recently announced that construction has begun on a new school facility for the district. The structure will serve as a new home for the existing South Middle School, and it will also be the town’s first new school construction in more than 50 years. The new school measures in at about 146,000 square feet. It’s estimated to cost about $66.7 million and is scheduled for completion in time for the start of the 2023–24 academic year.

Local news reports that the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed plans to vote on a temporary tax increase to help pay for the project. After a special election in fall 2020, Braintree voters approved a $63-million debt exclusion, and the state is expected to pay about $31 million.

"This is a very exciting time for Braintree," said Mayor Charles Kokoros. "It has been a very long road, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of such a momentous occasion."

The new facility for South Middle School will consist of three parts, according to local news reports. The first part will include a dining room and auditorium, media commons, two innovation labs and a band room. The second part will include two two-story sections containing classroom organized by grade. The third part will be the athletic wing and feature two gymnasiums, one including bleachers and one without. The school’s design also includes an outdoor courtyard with three seating areas.

The school will serve about 800 students in grades 5–8. Braintree Public Schools is partnering with MDS Architects on design and Bacon Construction as the construction manager.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

Digital Edition