According to Meadowdale Middle School Principal Christine Avery, the school probably has the leakiest roof in the Edmonds School District.
“There are lots of leaks, and then the leaks in the roof can cause mold problems (that) we have to make sure we stay on top of,” Avery said.
The school, built in 1961, is on its last legs, officials say. That’s one reason a new Meadowdale Middle School will be built, scheduled to open in fall 2011.
“Pretty much all of the major systems are at the end of their useful service life and would have to be replaced,” said Ed Peters, capital projects director for the district.
The school also is not up to seismic code, he said.
The new school is estimated to cost $54 million. Voters approved it in a 2006 bond.
Construction is not yet scheduled, but could start as early as summer 2009.
Students will stay in the school while the new building goes up on other parts of the site. The gym, music building and shop building will be torn down to make way for the new school, and students will move into the new gym before the old gym is demolished.
Then, once construction is finished, the old school will be torn down.
A new school will offer more than just a better heating system, officials say.
It’s hard to supervise students in the narrow, crowded hallways at passing time. The hallway is a central square with classrooms located in wings. As such, it’s set far enough away from classrooms that teachers standing outside their rooms can’t keep an eye on students which, according to Avery, is a safety issue.
With 670 kids walking through the halls, opening lockers only makes the crowding worse, Avery said.
Avery added that the cafeteria also doesn’t lend itself to the needs of the middle school age group. Students often want to leave the cafeteria and go outside for physical activity, but it’s hard to supervise students in both places since they’re disconnected.
When students do stay in the cafeteria, it’s hard even to have a conversation because it’s loud in there.
“It’s not a comfortable space designed for kids,” Avery said. “That 30-minute lunch is all they have that’s theirs.”
The new building also could offer spaces that allow for team teaching and easy access to the outdoors. Team teaching could mean two math teachers, for example, working together with both their classes, or a math and science teacher or a teacher from another subject teaching a class together.
To make team teaching easier, garage doors that lift between classrooms are being considered. So are garage doors that lift to the outside. Also, classrooms could be organized as pods where students work together in a central area, as at Edmonds-Woodway High School.
Staff members are working with Integrus Architects, the group designing the building, to solve current problems and have more flexibility for newer educational approaches.
As the building takes shape, middle school officials are revamping some programs and looking at changing others.
A block schedule is being considered, which would mean classes longer than the current 50-minute periods.
“This age group … it takes time for them to get focused and into their work, and in a 50-minute class period, by the time you get into the engaging part of the lesson, the period is over,” Avery said. “We’re thinking maybe a 70-minute class period.”
Longer periods also would mean less passing time.
Staff will discuss the model this year, with possible implementation in 2009-10.
Other possibilities include an advisory, similar to a homeroom class.
One change this year is that some students will have a math advisory class. This past year, every student had a reading advisory class.
“Everything we’re doing is trying to gear up for fall 2011, so we can have our educational program as beautiful as our facility will be,” Avery said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
