Edmond middle school scheduled to open
EDMOND — Heartland Middle School will welcome more than 900 students in grades six through eight when it opens next month.
The district’s sixth middle school, Heartland was built for $27 million. With new furniture and equipment, that figure swells past $30 million.
The project, approved in a 2013 school bond election, has been a labor of love for Christina Hoehn, the district’s chief operations officer. When she started planning Heartland, she was in the private sector, drawing up designs. A year ago, she was hired to help oversee construction in the ever-growing Edmond district.
Last week, district and Heartland administrators met at the adjacent Frontier Elementary with about 20 parents who are interested in forming a Heartland support parent organization. Hoehn addressed the parents.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for voting for the bond issue that allowed us to build this school,” she said. “This is the biggest project we’ve undertaken in the district in 18 years.”
Heartland’s first principal is Jason Galloway, who had been principal at Sequoyah Middle School. His assistant principals are Gabriel Schmidt and Laura McGee.
Modern and safe
When school starts Aug. 19 at the campus at 4900 Explorer Drive, students will be exposed to 21st-century learning, including advanced Wi-Fi capabilities, in the 158,000-square-foot building. Other amenities include two-story “learning stairs” that offer students an assembly and presentation space. There are learning pods within the classrooms.
One of the two gymnasiums will be the designated safe shelter, which can hold 1,250 students and withstand winds of 350 mph. It has backup generators if power to the school is knocked out.
Other features are computer labs, an educational courtyard, an outdoor amphitheater and sports facilities. Galloway said the baseball field is on par with the Dodgers field at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Excitement growing
Marta Coombes and Stephanie Price are the mothers of two incoming sixth-graders who said they are looking forward to the school opening and being involved with the parent group.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all the technology,” Coombes said. “I think the learning stairs are a good idea.”
Associate superintendent Debbie Bendick attended last week’s meeting and called Heartland a “spectacular” school.
It was Bendick who in early 2014 presented the school board with the name recommendation for the school. A committee opted for Heartland as a term of endearment for the state.
“Here in the heart of this great nation, Oklahomans have demonstrated resiliency, charity and tenacity to rise as an example of all that is best in the human spirit ” Bendick said.
The Thunderhawk is the official mascot.
Heartland originally was to have opened in August 2015. Wet weather in late 2013 delayed completion of Heritage Elementary, which was to have opened in 2014. Both schools opened a year later than planned.