One of the biggest features of the new Daviess County Middle School will be an uncovered 45,750-square-foot courtyard with artificial turf situated in the middle of the campus and surrounded by the four main corridors of the building.
Compared to the current DCMS building, officials said Thursday the new building will be an upgrade in nearly every way. It’s expected to be complete and ready to use in Fall 2022.
Members of the Daviess County Public Schools Board of Education and other district officials on Thursday toured the DCMS site, along with the Apollo High School addition.
“You have plans on paper, but when you see it materialize and begin to think about what that space is going to do for teachers and students, it’s very gratifying to see that come to fruition,” said Superintendent Matt Robbins.
The new building design features four corridors that form a square around the courtyard.
“The courtyard really catches my eye because you’ll be able to see that area from every hallway,” Robbins said. “That is going to be a space that we really envision being used on a daily basis for outdoor classrooms, performances, school events. It has a multi-purpose nature to it.”
The front of the school will face the Fairview Drive extension, which is still under construction.
The gym will be the center of focus along the front of the building. To the right will be the main entrance and front office, along with other staff offices and a 5,308-square-foot media center/library. To the left is a 6,200-square-foot cafeteria along with the kitchen.
The other three corridors share identical layouts, with one each dedicated to 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Each corridor has nine classrooms, two science labs, computer labs, and restrooms.
The building also features an orchestra room in the back right corner, along with an art studio and a digital arts room in the back left corner.
“To see the site is very exciting, particularly when you compare it to the environment that we’re operating in today, knowing that there’s such a contrast not only in the building space but also the location and accessibility of the school to its feeder schools and the community it serves,” Robbins said.
David Shutt, director of operations, said the construction has been moving along as scheduled due to favorable weather.
“I like the pacing of the project,” he said. “They’re trying to get as much done as they can before winter sets in. If they can get a roof, they can do more inside.”
The Apollo addition is also coming along and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021 after several delays. Robbins said they hope to start utilizing the space at the start of 2022.
Apollo is in Phase 3 of a four-part renovation that is a major overhaul of the entire campus. The current construction is on the rear end of the building.
Renovations include a new connector from the existing portion of the school to the gym and a connector to the new addition. In Phase 4, another hallway will be added coming into the addition from C pod.
Major features of the new addition include adding wings dedicated to the Engineering Academy and Ag Academy, with each containing three classrooms. The ag wing also has a new horticulture room, ag shop, and an animal science room, while the engineering wing has two engineering rooms and a computer lab.
“It enhances the programs that are already outstanding that we have, such as the Engineering and Agriculture Academies,” Robbins said generally of the Apollo renovation project. “It allows us to do more and envision more opportunities for our students than otherwise we might be constrained to in the existing environment.”
Bailey Bennett, DCPS Construction Coordinator, said Phase 4 is expected to start in January and will be a multi-year project. She said it will include new floors, paint, LED lights, and ceilings; facility upgrades such as science rooms being converted into labs, and a general remodel of facilities such as restrooms and offices.
Said Bennett: “Almost every area of the school will be touched in one way or another.”
