Midland College Breaks Ground on Pre-K Academy

Midland College in Midland, Texas, recently broke ground on a 60,000-square-foot facility designed to address a shortage of early childhood education centers and a shortage of teachers in the area. The Midland College Pre-K Academy & Center for Teaching Excellence is scheduled to open in fall 2023, according to a news release.

Local news reports that the building will expand the capacity of the existing Pre-K Academy from 68 seats to 288 seats for children ages 3–5. It will also play home to the college’s Early Childhood education bachelor’s degree program, providing classrooms and administrative space.

“The Midland College Pre-K Academy and Center for Teaching Excellence addresses two major challenges facing our community—a shortage of quality early childhood opportunities and a shortage of teachers,” said Midland College President Steve Thomas. “This project is evidence of Midland College’s commitment to provide education and training that help our community grow and prosper.”

The college is partnering with project architect/engineering firm Parkhill and construction contracting firm Adolfson & Peterson Construction. Funding for the project comes through lead gifts of $10 million each from Permian Strategic Partnership and the Scharbauer Foundation, Inc.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.