Mid-Del to consolidate middle schools
MIDWEST CITY — Midwest City-Del City Schools is moving forward with a $26.5 million consolidation project that will result in two middle schools being closed and two others being expanded, renovated and renamed, district officials told The Oklahoman on Friday.
Del Crest Middle School in Del City and Jarman Middle School in Midwest City are set to close in the summer of 2020, with Del Crest students moving to Kerr Middle School and Jarman students moving to Monroney Middle School for the 2020-21 school year.
“I think there's some cautious excitement about it,” Superintendent Rick Cobb said Friday. “Staff wants to know what their new role will be once the buildings are combined.”
Kerr will be known as Del City Middle School and Monroney will be known as Midwest City Middle School. The schools will adopt the mascots of their respective high schools and share the same colors.
“I think that's really good for the kids when they get to sixth grade,” Cobb said. “That's going to be their competitive identity for seven years at a time.”
Carl Albert Middle School and Carl Albert High School already share a similar arrangement.
Dwindling enrollments factored into the decision to close two of the district's five middle schools, Cobb said.
“Our middle schools don't have as many students as they had 20 years ago,” he said. “This gives us a chance to be more efficient with space.”
The average enrollment at each of the four schools is about 550 students.
The superintendent said combining middle schools will make it possible to align curriculum programs, activities and athletics in grades six through 12.
Demolition is underway at Kerr and Monroney, which will be expanded and renovated with funds from the district's October 2017 bond issue, which 75 percent of voters approved.
Cordell Ehrich, the district's executive director of secondary instruction, said additional buildings at Kerr and Monroney will house sixth-grade wings along with special education classes and some electives. Seventh- and eighth-grade students will be concentrated in the existing structures.
The additions will include practice gyms that double as tornado shelters, he said.
Monthly meetings are underway for staff to get updates on the progress of the project, Ehrich said, adding that committees of parents and teachers from each school will meet with candidates for principal of the two remaining schools.
“The teachers really wanted to have a voice in how the new schools were implemented,” he said.
Beginning with the 201920 school year, Del Crest and Kerr, and Jarman and Monroney will combine all athletic programs with the exception of basketball and volleyball, officials said. Baseball players at those schools, however, will join forces this spring to boost rosters.
District officials are considering whether to find other uses for Del Crest and Jarman — the original Mid West City High School.
“We have some rough plans to repurpose Del Crest,” Cobb said. “With Jarman, everything is on the table.”