Ground broken for new middle school in Palm Springs (Calif.) district

From The Palm Springs Desert Sun: The Palm Springs (Calif.) Unified School District has broken ground on Painted Hills Middle School in Desert Hot Springs. The $39.5 million, 138,000-square-foot school is expected to open in 2011 with about 800 students. It is being designed to eventually accommodate 1,254 students. Officials say it will reduce crowding at Desert Springs Middle School. The two-level school will be composed of classroom wings joined by the central administration and library/media center. The builder is McCarthy Building Companies, and the architect is Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Associates.