By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The Grand Rapids Public Schools recently dedicated the new $15.8 million Gerald R. Ford Middle School at 851 Madison SE. The school replaces the former Madison Elementary, which was demolished in 2006.
The three-story, 86,000-square-foot school will have some 500 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders this year. Each grade will occupy one level.
The school has an amazing list of student-friendly learning spaces, including:
- A 30-station computer lab
- A 500-seat gym
- A cafetorium
- A music room with flexible acoustics for band, orchestra, or choir
- A media center with a two-story glass wall and over 8,000 books
- 18 classrooms with ceiling-mounted data projectors for video on demand and Internet use
- Wireless Internet throughout the building
Each grade's four core subjects will be taught by pairs of teachers who are teamed up by subject: math/science, and language arts/social studies.
"Each pair of classrooms shares a folding wall so the classrooms can open to each other," says school spokesperson David D. Smith. "Six classrooms circle a common space, and open to that space for special activities."
And the outside is just as impressive as the inside.
"For a small urban site," Smith adds, "we were able to pack in a lot of play features."
Those features include a new baseball diamond and dugouts, soccer field, tennis and basketball courts, and a playground, all of which are open to the public as a neighborhood park.
The facility was dedicated on August 23, 2007. URS Corporation and Isaac V. Norris created the design. Triangle Associates managed the construction. Smith expects the school to receive LEED certification.
Source: David D. Smith, Grand Rapids Public Schools
Aerial photograph by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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