As part of District Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District’s $180 million bond referendum supported by voters in the fall of 2015, an important project was a total rejuvenation of Valley Middle School (VMS).
This school, which was originally opened in 1972, was a great example of the open school era. This meant all classrooms, labs, and the library were without walls to divide activities. Over the last 45 years, the District annually added temporary walls to better define and redefine space. This resulted in a jumbled school layout and atmosphere that struggled to maintain ideal learning environments.
More importantly, in 2012, Valley Middle School added a STEM focus to their overall instruction delivery to add a hands-on brand to further engage students and families. This $10.5 million project intended to remake VMS such that there would be equitable state-of-the-art learning environments and that the STEM focus would be supported in a variety of ways throughout the school.