New Casey Middle School begins to take shape

After months of nearly weekly meetings, this week the Casey Middle School design advisory team got to see the concepts and ideas they’ve been discussing take shape in the schematic design. The schematic design is still preliminary in nature and subject to change, but it is a good representation of how the final building will likely look and function.

The proposed design for the new school shifts the main entry to High Street and creates an educational plaza in front of the school on the southeast corner of the lot. High Street is far less busy than 13th where the main entrance currently faces and was seen as a safer access point. The proposed design for the plaza includes an amphitheatre, outdoor classroom space, and formal and informal play areas. The plaza also provides areas for students to gather before and after school

This idea of a commons area for students is repeated just inside the main entry with a large open space with tables and chairs which will provide seating during lunches and space for students to gather and study or socialize at other times of the day. The entryway is designed with security in mind—visitors will not be allowed through locked doors until they’ve checked in and received badges from the receptionist.

One of the prominent features in the design is the incorporation of natural daylight into learning spaces which has been shown to increase health and productivity. To make the best use of available light, most of the core classrooms in the new school are located on in a three-story section on the north side of the building where lighting is more consistent and glare free.

The new building incorporates the south and west facades of the original 1924 structure and behind these walls are the art room, library and electives rooms.

Some of the more innovative features of the design are a rooftop garden, small group spaces, and flexible indoor/outdoor space that converts with a garage-door like feature. The green roof will reduce storm drainage and keep the building cooler.

With the Casey project, BVSD is aiming to achieve LEED gold certification. LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is the industry-recognized, voluntary rating system that defines high-performing green buildings. The rating system provides proven strategies for achieving a green project.

A number of features in the proposed design will help the school gain points toward certification. Some of these are more obviously ‘green,’ like the array of photovoltaic panels stationed on the south side of the school. Others, are less obvious, like the garden-level parking garage to be located under the gym. Locating the parking in the same footprint as the building will reduce the hard surface area on the site, which creates less run-off and reduces the ‘heat island’ effect. Less hard surface area also means more space is preserved for student play areas or outdoor learning. This is especially important on a small site like Casey’s. The parking lot reserves priority spaces for alternative fuel vehicles and carpools.

The landscape design calls for the use of pervious materials in paved areas and utilizes low water vegetation throughout the site. The play fields at the school will be replaced with synthetic turf which requires less water and maintenance and fewer chemicals. Because there is only one play field at Casey, it receives much more use than fields at other middle schools in the district. The synthetic turf will allow the field to endure this heavy use

The opportunity to pursue this certification has been made possible by partnership with the City of Boulder which has committed up to $1.8 million in Educational Excise Tax (EET) funds. The EET is a voter-approved 14-year-old municipal tax on new Boulder residential development for “development of public education facilities and services.”

Casey will be BVSD’s first LEED certified school.

An open house to share more information about the design is scheduled for April 23, 6:30 p.m. in the Casey auditorium. All are invited to attend.

Get more information on the 2006 Bond Program.

Return to top of page.

At the March 18 TAC meeting, we learned the following:

• School Board President Dr. Helayne Jones joined our meeting, offering valuable information on discussions at the state level on a variety of topics, including high school graduation requirements, and possible changes regarding CSAP.  BVSD policies relating to these areas are on hold, pending state decisions and mandates.
• Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ellen Miller-Brown joined Dr. King in illustrating the New Reorganization Plan for Intervention and Support. (Read details on the website at bvsd.org/frontnews/Pages/default.aspx.) They explained these changes as an effort to bring expertise “closer and under the control of school decision making teams.”  Interventionist “coordinator” positions will be phased out, freeing up additional FTE for each site . We don’t yet know the “formula” for determining how much FTE goes to each school, but when your building is allotted this interventionist FTE, how it is used will be a site-based decision.
• BVEA is accepting applications from teachers who are interested in serving on TAC. Please contact Wendy Rochman wendy.rochman@bvsd.org or Melissa Tingley mtingley@nea.org for details.

Return to top of page.

BVSD is hosting a blood drive 1:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, in the Education Center Boardroom at 6500 East Arapahoe Road, Boulder. Bonfils Blood Center needs more than 4,000 volunteer donors each week to meet Colorado’s needs. Please contact Susana Aguirre at 303-447-5022 or at visit their website. Click "Am I eligible to donate?" for general information about blood donor eligibility.Click here to contact Bonfils’ Donor Relations department.

Return to top of page.

Return to top of page.

GAMES Program Gives Girls a Feel for Science

Return to top of page.

Studio B Auditions - April 15

Return to top of page.

Under New Management

Return to top of page.