Waco-Midway Independent School District
New Intermediate School in Midway, Texas
Waco/Midway Intermediate School number two—designed to house fifth and sixth grade students in the Midway Independent School District will cover 115,000 SF and cost $20.9 million. The design has classrooms grouped together to promote team teaching in the basic core subjects of English, Math, History, Social Studies and Science. Interspersed throughout the main classrooms are half-size classrooms to assist students in Reading, Resource and Special Education.
Elective classrooms for art, computer science, music and band are provided for both fifth and sixth grades and a life skills room is provided for special needs students. Each grade level has its own indoor activity room. The school has been designed utilizing the grade level teaming approach of the district’s current intermediate school. The activity rooms were purposely set at each end of the building so that students could have access to separate outdoor play areas. Backstops for the fields are provided along with hard court play areas. A walking track is also provided in the sixth grade outdoor play area similar to the existing intermediate school.
The common areas of the building are located at the center of the facility with the fine arts areas adjacent to the cafeteria. The cafeteria is designed to seat 450 students for dining and approximately 600 in chairs for special events. The stage is large enough to accommodate a band for performances, and has access to the music rooms. The library is located in the center of the facility and is sized to accommodate the 900 students. The facility, although based on a compact design, has an open feel. Day lighting has been incorporated into the interior in the form of light wells on the second floor and clerestory windows in the main entry and library daylight extended into the interior classrooms through the small group rooms.
Finally, the design of the campus exterior utilizes elements of Texas ranches with large sloping metal roofs and limestone in the facades. The “Contemporary Texas Ranch” style is an inviting look that will instantly make students feel at home. The facility, scheduled to open in August 2010, marks Charter 's first collaboration with Midway ISD.