Duval County Public Schools Breaks Ground on New Middle School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/25/23

Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Fla., recently celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony for a new middle school, according to a news release. Chaffee Trail Middle School will play home to students in grades 6–8 and is currently scheduled to open before the start of the 2024–25 school year. The district partnered on the project with architecture and engineering firm Zyscovich, LLC, and Gilbane Building Company.

Funding for the $50-million construction project comes from a $1.7-billion capital improvement program involving a half-cent sales tax that local voters approved in 2020. The new facility will measure in at 124,259 square feet and include amenities like 26 classrooms, a Career and Technical Education Center, science demonstration labs, skills development labs, and Exceptional Student Education classrooms, according to local news. The new school will have a capacity for 994 students.

“We are committed to building a better future for the communities in which we live and work and for the generations to come,” said Gilbane Building Company Area Manager Adam Verducci. “With that, we as a company have committed to generating $4 billion in awards over five years to certified minority and women-owned businesses (M/WBE), disadvantaged, LGBTBE, and veteran-businesses enterprises and are proud to work alongside a local Minority/Woman owned environmental partner and other small and diverse partners for construction management support and outreach.”

The new school will feature outdoor athletic amenities for football and soccer baseball and softball, tennis, basketball, and track, the news release reports.

Other new projects being funded by the capital improvement plan are set to include a $58-million new high school and a replacement facility for Rutledge Pearson Elementary, local news reports.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at mjones@1105media.com.

Featured

  • PNSI Global Alliance Launches New Quality Assurance Certification

    PNSI Global Alliance, a network of technology integrators and service providers, recently introduced a new Quality Assurance Certification (QAC) for AV service and support, according to a press release. The two-day, interactive workshop QAC course is designed for Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) to provide them with the most up-to-date and advanced quality assurance knowledge available.

  • Kimball International Launches Season 5 of Alternative Design Podcast

    Commercial furnishings manufacturer Kimball International recently premiered the fifth season of its Alternative Design podcast, according to a news release. The first episode was released on March 17, and new episodes will launch monthly. The podcast discusses forces that shape built environments, from work to housing to healthcare to human wellness.

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Splendora Independent School District (SISD) in Splendora, Texas, recently broke ground on a replacement facility for Greenleaf Elementary School, according to a news release. The district partnered with planning, engineering and program management firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) for the project.

  • UTEP Celebrates Construction Milestone for New Academic Building

    The University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, Texas, recently held a “topping out” ceremony for its new learning complex, Texas Western Hall, according to university news. The construction milestone marks the placement of the last beam of a structure in progress.