The grounds between McLoughlin High School (Mac-Hi) and Central Middle School will be the future home of a new facility for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) classrooms serving grades 6-12 in Milton-Freewater.
The public is invited to a groundbreaking ceremony taking place today at 5:45 p.m.
The new STEAM building will house four classrooms, a circulation space, restrooms, and associated support spaces. Each classroom will be approximately 1,400 square feet, with furniture that can be reconfigured for flexible learning spaces. Situated between the two schools, the facility will provide a hands-on connection across both campuses.
“One of our goals is to have every middle school student go through a STEAM class before they head to high school,” said Milton-Freewater Unified School District Superintendent Aaron Duff. “This infrastructure supports the growth of all our students with a dynamic learning environment.”
The facility will accommodate a variety of STEAM classes, including agriculture classes for grades 8-12, which will have convenient access to the nearby greenhouses. The art classroom will serve grades 6-12 and includes a ceramics studio with a kiln. The STEAM building will be located next to the current Career and Technical Education building, where the metal and wood shops are housed, rounding out the opportunities offered to students in the district. This development moves forward with the district’s strategic plan and includes input from the school board, community budget council, and associated teachers.
“The larger physical capacity and the technological capabilities will open some great opportunities for collaboration in these shared maker spaces,” said Dawn Chester, Central Middle School STEAM teacher.
The same construction team that built Gib Olinger Elementary School is working on the STEAM facility. Wenaha Group is managing the project with architects West and Kirby Nagelhout, working with many local contractors for the construction. Duff also noted,
“We are excited about what this project will bring to the school district and the greater community,” said Duff. “We have local contractors with kids or grandkids in our schools that recognize the importance of this expansion.” The project is funded entirely by federal and state ESSER grants. The building is slated to be ready for the 2023—24 school year.
