Add as a preferred source on Google

Fla. Elementary School to Add Middle School Expansion

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/14/22

The Polk County School Board in Davenport, Fla., recently approved funding to expand the campus of Bella Citta Elementary School to add a middle school. The $22-million addition will add classrooms for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students, as well as a new gymnasium, a cafeteria and a track. Construction is projected to be complete by June 2023, according to local news sources.

The current site of Bella Citta Elementary is 20 acres and can accommodate performance and fine arts classrooms. Local news reports that the facility also has space to expand because it is not obligated to build a retention pond for runoff water. “This site is bigger than a standard elementary school site,” said Angela Usher, assistant superintendent for facilities and operations.

Local news reports that combining the two facilities allows students to attend the same school from kindergarten through eighth grade. The move will reduce crowding at nearby schools and provide additional benefits to students’ behavioral and social issues within a tight-knit community.

The only dissenting vote came from school board member Kay Fields, who wondered whether the campus was big enough to fit an entire extra school. “I love the idea of a K–8 school. That’s not my concern,” said Fields at the meeting. “My concern is whether or not there’s enough space to accommodate that with all of the things that need to be in place for middle school students.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

  • North Texas School District Completes Third New Elementary School

    The Denton Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, recently finished construction on its third prototype design elementary school, Reeves Elementary, according to a news release.

  • 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.

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

Digital Edition