On the first day of school Sept. 2, Menasha-area students and teachers started their year with a new Maplewood Middle School building.
While building the new school was on a “tight timeline,” it was completed on time for the school year to begin, said Brian Adesso, director of business services for Menasha Joint School District.
“It’s exciting to see how it functions,” he said.
Maplewood Middle School’s design incorporates both a collaborative approach to learning and sustainable energy. Each grade level is organized into “neighborhoods” in different wings, each with several classrooms, one-on-one rooms and a common area called a “flex cafe.”
One of the first net-zero schools in Wisconsin, the school is powered by geothermal wells beneath the athletic field and a solar array on top of the building.
The school’s design, painted in shades of blue, also includes plenty of natural light. For that reason, Adesso said one of his favorite spaces in the new school is the library, which is on an upper floor with a wall of windowpanes and “a very calm feel,” he said.
The natural light and other features, like the inclusive playground and air purification system, will also support students’ mental and physical health, he said.
Overall, Adesso was “very grateful” that the community supported the building through a successful capital referendum in 2022; he felt that money, about $100 million, was spent wisely. While the building is “more cutting-edge” than some of the more historical school buildings, he hopes the community “has an immense sense of pride” in the new middle school.
MJSD plans to celebrate the opening of the school building with a ribbon-cutting and dedication event starting at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13.
Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at rloroff@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: New ‘net-zero’ Menasha middle school building opens in time for first day of school
Reporting by Rebecca Loroff, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
