Skip to main content
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

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Agricultural Sciences Complex has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.