School Board Set To Hire Contractor For New Ernest Ward Middle School

February 17, 2013

The Escambia County School Board is set to approve a contractor at their Tuesday meeting to manage the rebuilding of Ernest Ward Middle School.

A school district committee ranked five qualified firms for the job, with Greenhut Construction Company of Pensacola receiving the nod.  If approved by the school board, Greenhut will provide “Construction Management at Risk Services” for the project — the overall planning, coordination and control of the project from beginning to completion.

The $16.5 million, 115,202 square foot building is currently being designed by Sam Marshall Architects of Pensacola.

The new facility will replace the entire Ernest Ward campus, with the exception of the current gymnasium and football stadium. The oldest buildings at Ernest Ward, including the main classroom wing, were constructed in 1945.

A few portable buildings and the Ag Building will be demolished as early as this summer to be replaced by temporary portable buildings during the construction process.  The new school is expected to open in the fall of 2016. 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. Tuesday, the school board is expected to approved the Morette Company of Pensacola as the construction management firm for the Suter project.

Pictured top: The gymnasium at Ernest Ward Middle School will receive some updates, but will not be demolished, as a new school is built on the Walnut Hill campus. The Ag Building (interior pictured inset, exterior below) could be demolished as early as this summer. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

12 Responses to “School Board Set To Hire Contractor For New Ernest Ward Middle School”

  1. yolokidd115 on February 21st, 2013 7:56 am

    @just tired
    I Agree entirely!!

  2. Class of 99' from NHS on February 20th, 2013 8:14 am

    It sounds like to me that all anyone wants to talk about is poor pitiful Century/Carver. I went to Ernest Ward for Middle School. I never went to Century/Carver., But with most of the people that get on here complain and complain. I think that if I was a parent of a child that went to Century, Id want my children to get a better education at a better school. Not only did they shut down your school in Century, but they moved all your wonderful teachers to three great area elementary, middle, and highschools. I think as a parent that has two children at Bratt an “A” school, that when my two get to Ernest Ward it will be close to opening.. I think its wonderful that Ernest Ward is getting a new,technical school. For better learning for our children, and children to come long after, and for the near future.. Yes the current EWMS is in the middle of nowhere. With all that I have said. Im not complaining. Im happy Mrs. Gindl-Perry is getting a new school, and Im thanking Mr. Thomas for making that happen…

  3. Oh well on February 18th, 2013 7:34 pm

    @Just Tired,
    Yes Carver/Century is a newer school but as most stated, your students there were already leaving and headed to other schools. Fewer and fewer students along with the failing grade for how many years. Do you think it would be wise to keep pouring money into something broken (no offense to the teachers and faculty) or send money to the area in which its needed and students are headed? Ernest Ward may seem in the middle of no where but your only thinking of Century. You have to take into accountability Molino, Mcdavid, Walnut Hill itself. In the end Ernest Ward is in a location neutral to all.

  4. Geography Lesson on February 18th, 2013 4:15 pm

    >>And not knocking the big Metropolis of Walnut Hill, but you have to be honest with yourself and agree it is in the middle of nowhere.

    Walnut Hill is in the middle of somewhere — the geographic east-west middle of the county. Makes a lot of sense to put the school there.

  5. nojoke on February 18th, 2013 3:56 pm

    Just tried has hit on something that seems fairly true..while i don’t agree with everything he or she posted, I do agree that this facility should be built beside Northview High School. Just seems like the right thing to do. After all that is more centrally located since they did close the Century Schools. And not knocking the big Metropolis of Walnut Hill, but you have to be honest with yourself and agree it is in the middle of nowhere. Yeah the community is close and everyone knows everyone. but other than Coops old store what do you got.

  6. Suz~ on February 18th, 2013 9:41 am

    Excuse me~Walnut Hill is not in the middle of ‘nowhere’! While it’s not in the big ‘city’ of ‘getting nowhere’, it’s on the way to ‘lots of places’. I went to Ernest Ward High school back in the day and I am proud of my ‘roots’…lots of good memories there and @ Davisville, but the next generation deserve better and more efficient facilities and equal to the bigger schools in our county. Long live Ernest Ward school and God bless those who continue to teach our children for generations to come.

  7. No Excuses on February 17th, 2013 9:03 pm

    @just tired,

    Many people don’t like to see schools they may have attended or supported closed, but it’s just a building for crying out loud! Since building a new school is the better solution in this situation, why can’t you just be happy to be getting something so nice in your neighborhood?

    Thank you Mr. Thomas for all that you do for our children and community.

  8. well on February 17th, 2013 6:59 pm

    Not to worry Mr. Thomas,

    If you consider how many people are not complaining here you will know there is a lot of support for this. The 3-4 will always be negative about everything.

  9. North Escambia Resident on February 17th, 2013 6:42 pm

    Carver Century kept losing students and cost the school district more and more money to keep open. Your getting a brand new school built practically right next to the old middle school. Yes, the funds used are budget funds that dedicated for building and construction expenditures. The school district has had a few schools in recent years that were old and needed to be closed and new schools built. If you compare the cost of upkeeping some of the old facilities versus building new schools…..in the long run the decision they have made makes clear sense! As a tax payer I support their decision and plans!

  10. Not Tired on February 17th, 2013 2:10 pm

    Ignoring the fact that “just tired” believes they are God….the money being used to build the schools could *not* have been used to keep the failing Carver/Century open. The are different “pots” of money per state law. The schools are being built with capital improvement funds and LOST funds that can’t fund the day to day operations of a school.

    I’m sure God will have mercy on Mr. Thomas. He closed Carver/Century and moved the kids out of a failing environment where they are now at an “A” school receiving an education instead of in an “F”, poor, poor, pitiful me environment. Heaven forbid he should have put them somewhere they are now successful or getting the help they need.

    God Bless Mr. Thomas.

  11. just tired on February 17th, 2013 2:01 pm

    God is not pleased with all the lying that Malcolm Thomas has done over the years, claiming that there wasn’t enough money ($600, 000 a year) to keep Carver/Century open. But you have miraculously found enough money to build how many new shools (4 or 5) since closing Carver? While the residents of Century knew it was all a bunch of lies from the beginning they felt helpless in the situation because they knew that no matter what, Carver was going to be closed. God have mercy on you, Mr. Thomas.

  12. Yep on February 17th, 2013 9:32 am

    Look like they would build it next door to Northview. Had to close Century new school. Now they want to build a new one out in the middle of nowhere. Real smart. Waste of money for some of us.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News