Possible design of Rosa Parks Expansion

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Journal-News: Early Work on $10M Expansion of Middletown’s Rosa Parks Elementary Underway

Journal-News Staff Writer Michael D. Clark gives readers an update on the Rosa Parks Elementary Expansion Project. As a district, we are excited to start the work for our students, staff, and future Middies!

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Early work on $10M Expansion of Middletown’s Rosa Parks School Underway
September 18, 2019
By Michael D. Clark, Journal-News Staff Writer

“Planning work on the $10 million expansion of a Middletown school campus has begun and ground will soon be broken on the new project, school officials said Tuesday… 

“...expansion work is done by August 2021, Middletown school officials said… 

“The school will have 13 additional classrooms, but its current learning spaces will be dramatically remodeled to better accommodate a new instructional approach — Challenge Based Learning — the district plans to install there… 

“Middletown Schools suffers from overcrowding in its elementary schools, and the enlargement of the Rosa Parks campus and is designed in part to relieve those conditions… 

“‘They’ll break ground, move dirt, and lay the foundation in November or December,’ said Middletown Schools spokeswoman Elizabeth Beadle. ‘Then, they’ll start building up after winter or early spring’... 

“The $10 million construction plan’s funds are left over from a $86 million project that led to a new middle school and expanded high school, both of which opened in September 2018… 

“Details on the bigger Rosa Parks’ enrollment draws from beyond the school’s adjacent neighborhoods are still to be worked out, said Beadle… 

“‘No enrollment decisions will be made until January/February 2020. There is an enrollment committee that will present to the board in January 2020’”... 

“In May Middletown Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr. said at the time the school board approved the $10 million expansion’“this project will give our students access to innovative learning spaces and the green light to weave their imagination into their learning’... 

“‘Our staff at Rosa Parks Elementary is chomping at the bit to get the project moving for our students and our community and we’re excited to work with them every step of the way,’ said Styles… 

“And Rosa Parks will also be the site of a new academic program – Challenge Based Learning (CBL)... 

Fran Morrison, senior director of curriculum and innovation, said one of the strengths of the learning team, project-oriented Challenge Based Learning (CBL) approach to classroom instruction is “it is a framework for teachers and students to learn side by side’...

“‘Education is going through a massive shift now in response to the shift in the workforce (needs),’ said Morrison.”

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