By Lisa Kopochinski
FATE, Texas鈥擟onstruction has begun on a nearly $40 million middle school in Fate, Texas.
This past March, VLK Architects, along with Royse City ISD students, staff, administrators and community members, celebrated the groundbreaking on the district鈥檚 new Bobby Summers Middle School. Bobby Summers, whom the school was named after, was also in attendance to commemorate this new campus.
Summers, who is currently serving as a trustee, is known locally as the 鈥淰oice of Royse City鈥濃�攁 title he earned while manning the microphone as the district鈥檚 football game announcer.
This facility is the largest project included in the district鈥檚 2018 bond and will serve 1,200 middle school students in grades 6 through 8. The school鈥攖o be built across the street from Fate City Hall, located at 1900 CD Boren Parkway鈥攊s the largest project that was included in the $60-million bond package approved by voters in May 2018.
鈥淭hrough VLK | LAUNCH庐, a committee was formed to design this school that consisted of staff, parents, community members and鈥攎ost importantly鈥攐ur students,鈥� said City ISD Superintendent Kevin Worthy.
鈥淭he design is going to be safe, smart, modern and efficient,鈥� he remarked. 鈥淔rom the secure interior courtyard, to the community friendly extracurricular facilities, we hope that it will spark creativity and passion for learning in every child.鈥�
The new building is designed to promote outdoor engagement with a centrally located secure courtyard and large windows allowing daylight throughout. The multipurpose courtyard area 鈥搇ocated just outside of the cafeteria鈥攆unctions as a staging area and will further serve as a meeting space for large events, classes and play space. Architecturally, the school will boast innovative learning spaces, a secure interior courtyard and community-friendly athletic spaces.
Multipurpose furniture will be placed on tracks that can be moved based on the space needed. The design is specified to be environmentally friendly by using a rainwater collection tank to further aid in landscaping.
Approximately 270 bids were submitted for this project early this year, with Northstar Builders Group, a construction firm that operates in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, being chosen.
鈥淲e feel this [price of $39.6 million] puts us on budget, if not a little under after we鈥檙e done figuring out everything,鈥� said Jack Ream, senior project manager for Northstar Builders Group.
Bobby Summers Middle School is expected to open its doors to students in August 2020.
Summers grew up near the site of the new school and has deliberated on issues dealing with campuses and facilities during his time as a board member. He told the Herald-Banner newspaper recently that hearing his name attached to this middle school is a 鈥渟urreal鈥� experience.
鈥淵ou hear about the word 鈥榮urreal,鈥� but I鈥檓 still waiting to wake up,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 never expected anything like this.鈥�