Committee To Select Architect For New Ernest Ward Middle School Today

October 5, 2012


Progress continuing toward the construction of a new state of the art, $16.5 million Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill. An interview committee will meet today in Pensacola to select an architectural firm to design the 600-student facility.

Once the firm is selected, it will go to work designing the building. That process will including meeting with an advisory committee at Ernest Ward that will provide input into the design process, down to the colors of walls and floors.

After the building design is approved, the next major phase of the project will be the selection of a builder.

Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said he expect the new Ernest Ward will open in August 2015.

Students will be on site during the construction of the new school. Once the new building is complete, the most of the current building will be torn down, and portables and modular buildingsĀ  currently on the campus will be removed. The current administration building is slated to become a maintenance facility.

In addition to Ernest Ward, the district will rebuild A.K. Suter Elementary in Pensacola for $21.5 million. A similar interview committee met Thursday to chose an architect for the Suter project.

The final committee architect selections must be approved by the Escambia County School Board.

Pictured top: Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas and Ernest Ward Principal Nancy Perry discuss options for the new school. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

6 Responses to “Committee To Select Architect For New Ernest Ward Middle School Today”

  1. Amy M on October 5th, 2012 10:20 pm

    @No Excuse it must be a isolated case thank you for letting me think about it that way. I think I will just find an outside agency to look it over maybe I am wrong at least I hope so.

  2. Josh on October 5th, 2012 10:04 pm

    I commend the School Board and Superintendent Thomas on the latest planned capital projects. Although I live in the city limits; it’s good to see our neighbors in the north end of the county aren’t forgotten.

  3. bill on October 5th, 2012 1:34 pm

    If I’m reading the article correctly, it looks like Ernest Ward will be a new school and Suter will be demolished and re-built, probably in phases. The demo work and phasing of the construction, to keep the school open during the remodeling, will naturally cost more than building a new school from scratch.

  4. No Excuses on October 5th, 2012 10:23 am

    @Amy,

    Just curious – what kind of help are the ESE students “not” getting? My daughter is an ESE student in Escambia County and is/has done very well in school due to the help of the ESE and General Education Staff. I think our County does a great job, overall, with these students. Is your case an isolated case?

  5. Amy M on October 5th, 2012 7:18 am

    I wish that ese children could get the help they should since the schools get money for them. I wish we had someone that cared about all children and would spend this money better so it could help many children to learn. I guess I will waste all my wishes it is what it is. So many children are being left behind…..

  6. Curious about cost on October 5th, 2012 5:53 am

    Why is it costing 21.5 million for A.K. Suter? I think they have fewer students than EWMS. I know that Suter is in a more affluent neighborhood, are they going to have something special? Just curious!