TIA has been hard at work over the past several months—and this time, expansion is not just taking place in students’ minds. The campus at Midvale and Valencia received a Certificate of Occupancy last week signifying the completion of their renovation and expansion project! Students and staff returning this fall will enjoy the new facility’s modern design, with plenty of light and glass, as well as its updated technology, including an extensive computer lab and a private wireless network (installed by DakotaPro). But perhaps more important than the building they’ll be sitting in is the people they’ll be sitting beside: the expansion will accommodate 85 additional students, effectively tripling their size!
Midvale Campus Expansion Ready for 2012 School Year
In an area with limited options for elementary and high school education, Midvale has had a waiting list for years due to their constrained facilities. Finally, after having to delay the project for a year because of state budget cuts, the expansion is complete, and finishing touches are being brought in, such as computers and furniture. And that’s not all that’s being added—more students means more teachers, and beginning July 16, eight new teachers will arrive for orientation training.
Mike Hoppe, the school’s COO/CFO, sees it as positive that the school was able to expand in their current location: “We’ll be able to stay in the middle of where the educational need is.” Even with the additional space, he expects Midvale to continue to have a waitlist, and recommends that interested families sign up earlier rather than later.
Project Completed on time and on budget!
The architect employed for the project was Steve Shell, who is well known in Tucson for his work designing educational facilities. More than designing a classroom, Shell’s plans encompassed everything from the parking lot to the playground. According to Mike Hoppe, Shell navigated city and state requirements “flawlessly,” obtaining all the necessary permits in a timely fashion. In fact, it would seem that the expansion was seemingly without the “growing pains” typically associated with construction projects. The project was completed “on time and on budget,” Hoppe reported. Which is good, since it’s almost time for Midvale students to get back to their new school.