Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building
The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.
The July 31 ceremony included an open house and guided tours before the start of school on Aug. 13. Funding for the middle school came from Bond 2021, a $38-million bond referendum that went toward new facilities, renovations, and repairs and upgrades around the district. Funding for the administration building came through local resources and wasn’t included in the bond package, according to the news release.
“These new facilities are a testament to the vision of our community and the commitment to creating learning environments where our students can thrive,” said WISD Superintendent Wade Stanford. “We’re already seeing a positive impact on student engagement and staff collaboration.”
The district partnered with Fitzpatrick Architects and Pfluger Architects for the project’s design, as well as Jackson Construction for construction services. The project consisted of renovating four existing buildings into a single facility. The campus consists of new and refurbished buildings that took advantage of existing structures, foundations, and loadbearing walls.
“The design intent is to support the learning space profile defined by input from the community, parents, staff, and students,” said Pfluger CEO Terry Hoyle. “The learning spaces include flexible and comfortable instructional spaces; collaborative spaces for engagement, creativity, and student choice; and non-academic spaces for community engagement and outdoor learning.”
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Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].