The Hermiston (Ore.) School District has broken ground on two elementary school campuses.
The East Oregonian reports that a new, $23 million Rocky Heights Elementary will be built to serve 600 students. It will have a one-story, 73,500-square-foot layout with 24 classrooms plus a library, gym and other common areas.
The new building will be constructed in the athletic fields next to the existing school. Students will continue to attend classes at the existing building in 2021-22 while construction is underway; the new school is expected to open in fall 2022. The existing Rocky Heights was constructed in 1962 and is plagued with maintenance and security issues.
The second groundbreaking was for a new campus that will be named Loma Vista Elementary School. It also will have a capacity of 600 students, using the same general layout as the new Rocky Heights, and open for 2022-23.
Funding for construction of both schools comes from an $87.2 million bond passed in 2019. The bond funds also cover the costs of a new softball complex, a classroom annex at Hermiston High School, purchase of additional property for future schools, and improvements to the parking and drop-off areas at several schools. The architect for both elementary schools is BBT Architects and the builder is Kirby Nagelhout Construction.
