Two New KPS Schools, With a Third on the Way!

Prairie Ridge Elementary School, which opened in the fall of 2008, was the first new school built in Kalamazoo in 36 years. Prairie Ridge is LEED Gold Certified, making it the first K-12 school in Michigan to receive this prestigious certification. The school is located on 9th Street.

Linden Grove Middle School, the second brand-new building to open since 2008, welcomed approximately 700 students on the opening day of the 2009-2010 school year. Linden Grove is LEED Gold Certified as of December 2011, making KPS home to the first two LEED Gold Certified schools in Michigan. The building was designed and built to be both energy efficient and functional. Some of the building’s energy-saving features are abundant daylighting, allowing for fewer artificial lights and smaller HVAC systems; special outdoor light fixtures designed to decrease light pollution; dual flush toilets and low-flow fixtures; and a reflective, white roof, with roof vegetation.

In 2010 the citizens of Kalamazoo approved a bond issue that included the replacement of Washington Writers’ Academy, an elementary magnet school. The current three-story brick building, built in 1919, will be replaced with a new building that meets contemporary educational and environmental needs, but that also complements the architectural style of the historic neighborhood. The gym will be kept intact and used in the new building. All involved agree that that the exterior design of this building should embrace and respect the neighborhood in which it is located. The new Washington Writers' Academy is scheduled to open in 2014. (Read the related Board meeting minutes by clicking here for the pdf.)

Kalamazoo Public Schools, the architectural and engineering firm TowerPinkster, and construction manager CSM have formed a strong partnership over the past ten years. TowerPinkster and CSM designed and built Prairie Ridge, then Linden Grove, and are now planning the new Washington Writers’ Academy.