3/27/08

Heritage HS welcomes students at new campus

by Beckye Randall

The new Heritage High School building on the Marysville Secondary Options Campus welcomed students on Monday, March 17. Built to accommodate 200 students, the bright and inviting school building shares facilities and resources with the Arts & Technology High School and the nearly completed Tenth Street School.

Like those other structures, Heritage was built off-site using modular construction methods. The modules were then trucked to the campus on 27th Avenue NE in Tulalip for assembly and finish work.

John Bingham, the district’s capital projects director, talked about the challenges of managing the modular construction project.

“In traditional construction, like with Grove Elementary, we deal with one contractor who is the point person for all phases of the project,” said Bingham. “With these units, there was a contractor who built the modules, another contractor for site work, and a third company who handled the stick-built construction of the shared gym and cafeteria building.”

Making sure all the pieces came together at the right time was a daunting task, but the innovative design of the project has provided valuable lessons for the Marysville district and others.

Using modular design techniques, the three schools were completed in record time and with existing funds from builder mitigation fees. No tax money was required to pay for the development of the expansive campus.

“We’ve been asked to make presentations to several other districts and to the superintendents’ group at their conference in Yakima, and many districts have come to the campus for tours,” said Bingham.

The schools at the Secondary Options Campus aren’t the only ones drawing attention. The design for the Marysville Getchell High School has already won numerous awards for its environmentally friendly concept and its use of space to promote learning.

In June, Bingham and assistant superintendent Gail Miller have been invited to attend the British Education Council’s conference in London. They will present information about both the construction and the curriculum imperatives that are incorporated into the new high school.

“They’re even paying our way,” said Bingham with a smile.

A European trip might be a fitting reward to celebrate the successful completion of another construction milestone, especially on someone else’s Euro.