As part of a successful $125 M referendum in May of 2015, Independent School District #273, Edina Public Schools, focused on broad based district-wide initiatives to create personalized and extended learning environments, update special education and media center spaces, and incorporate flexible furniture throughout all facilities. As part of this plan, both middle schools in Edina received major renovations to strategically align with these goals.
To begin, the District relocated 9th grade from both middle school to the high school, creating a true 6-8 middle school concept in each building. With the additional capacity available, Wold was able to work on the integration of multiple extended learning environments throughout the buildings to support personalized learning beyond the classrooms. At SVMS, the entire building was reoriented internally to the site to improve traffic flow, separate bus traffic, and relocate the office to the main parking. For VVMS, the approach demanded relocation of science and other specialist labs to create a more cohesive approach to grade organization internally. To maximize construction value and minimize disruption to the learning environment, Wold worked with the CM to develop a continuous phased construction plan that rotated work from area to area in each building during the school year to fully implement the project at one time in lieu of limiting construction to summer months only. The projects were further enhanced through a comprehensive approach to updating technology throughout the district, and incorporate furniture focused on movement and collaboration at all buildings.