Staff and administrators in the Fort Dodge Community Schools have begun the process of looking into designs for a new middle school.
Although the process is still in the very early planning stages, a group of 12 representatives from the district, along with architects from RDG Planning and Design, of Ames, the district's architectural firm, visited three newly constructed schools in the Ames and Des Moines area this week to get a look at features the new Fort Dodge school could include.
The group toured Summitt Middle School in Johnston, Ames Middle School in Ames and Prairie View Middle School in Waukee, and noted features which they liked about each facility.
RDG Architect Rob Collins said the Ames Middle School media center, with its natural lighting and open spaces and the angles and design of the ceilings to reduce the noise of hallway traffic, appealed to the group. The idea of academic "pods" for each team with classrooms centered around individual common areas, the signage, cafeteria and secured entryway at Summitt Middle School were also options they showed interest in.
"We're looking at ways to add detail without adding a whole lot of money," said Collins.
Architect Liz Erbes said RDG recommends "learning communities" for Fort Dodge. If the design were approved, the new school would likely include 10 "communities" to accommodate the district's fifth- through eighth-graders. They would include three regular classrooms, a science classroom and a special needs room with a partition. Exploratory studios for art, technology, family and consumer science classes would be included, as well as extra locker rooms, music areas, a large media center and safety and separation between parent and school bus drop-off areas.
RDG estimates the middle school will be anywhere from 143,000 to 205,000 square feet.
"We hope to be able to move into the site development phase soon," said RDG architect Gary Griggs.
Construction of the project would not start any earlier than the summer of 2011, and is expected to take about two years to complete.
Contact Emilie Nelson at (515) 573-2141 or enelson@messengernews.net