- Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District
- Our Projects - 2023 Bond
- Wayside Middle School
Bond Program Progress
Page Navigation
-
Wayside Middle School — Replacement Campus
– Grades 6-8
– Will be built on the site of the former EMS Administration Building property and use portions of the existing school site.
– Design work begins Spring 2024; construction begins May 1, 2024; target open date December 2025/January 2026
Project Updates
November 18, 2024
- The last grade beam concrete prep is in progress.
- Geothermal wells are nearing completion on the south side of the campus.
- Competition gym is being prepped for slab pour.
- Competition gym is in the process of being poured.
- The slab pour is complete for the competition gym. The next slab pour will
be the locker room areas. - ICF blocks have been delivered on-site. Driveway prep continues in the front
of the building. Finish plumbing and electrical have been completed and finish grade is in progress.
-
Previous Project Updates
-
October 28, 2024
- Work on piers and grade beams continues.
- Underground electrical and plumbing has begun.
-
September 16, 2024
- Began digging for piers.
- Sanitary sewer line manholes being dug.
-
August 26, 2024
- Building pad prep is ongoing. Pier drilling is scheduled to start by the end of August.
- Geothermal well drilling to start at the beginning of September.
-
June 17, 2024
Demolition of the former administration buildings four, five and six (the buildings in the back) took place on June 17. The demolition of the former Absher Building and Ramsey Building (the two brick buildings in front) will follow. Fiber connections took place on June 7. Fencing is installed in the field behind Bryson Elementary School, across the street from Wayside Middle School, for the construction of the temporary football practice field.
-
May 28, 2024
Prep work continues at the site of the former ²ÝÁñÉçÇø administration building, with surveys of exterior buildings submitted to the City of Saginaw. This is required before demolition can begin. Safety fencing around the construction site has been completed, and scheduling is in process for the revisions of the existing Wayside front drive and construction of a temporary practice football field in the open space adjacent to Bryson Elementary School. This project is part of the 2023 Bond.
Thank you to our community for your patience and understanding during the construction period. Questions regarding the project may be submitted to our construction team and district leaders through the Let’s Talk! feature on our district website.
-
April 9, 2024
On Wednesday, May 1, the district’s construction contractor will begin mobilizing on site for the first phase of the Wayside MS replacement campus project. The new school will be located on the site of the former ²ÝÁñÉçÇø administration building, just south of the current Wayside and across from Bryson Elementary School. For the safety of all in our community, the former administration building and surrounding outdoors spaces will be fenced off from public access and secured once it becomes a construction site.
Wayside students and staff will be able to continue having school in the current building while construction is underway on the new facility. However, the start of construction will impact current practices for traffic, parking, and access to our building. Campus leaders have been working closely with the district’s Operations team, Transportation, and ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Police to identify workable solutions during construction.
All parents, neighbors, and members of the community are invited to a community meeting at 6 pm Thursday, April 18, in the Wayside MS Cafeteria. District leaders, along with representatives from the project's construction contractor, will outline the construction plan, site safety plan and timelines for the new school and answer questions about the project. In the meantime, here are some important details from the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Operations team to help the community plan drive times and visits to the Wayside campus:
Effective Wednesday, May 1, 2024:
- All parent traffic will need to use the main entrance off Old Decatur Road for morning drop off, afternoon pick up, and visits to campus. All parking (including employees) will be in the front lot. ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Police and Safety and Security will assist with traffic flow as needed.
- The back driveway between the school and tennis courts will be fenced off as part of the construction area. There will be no public access (including employees) to the driveway or parking areas behind the building.
- The bus loop on the east side of the building is only for school buses; students who are not bus riders should be dropped off and picked up at the front of the building.
- The parking lot on the west side of the building outside the gymnasium and portable classrooms is only for identified buses and programs; all other students should be dropped off and picked up at the front of the building.
- The parking lot at the former administration building will no longer be accessible for parking or waiting for students.
- The field west of the tennis courts will no longer be accessible to walk through or for use by the public. A pathway along Old Decatur Road will be provided for students who walk/bike before or after school.
- The tennis courts, practice field and track will be part of the construction site and will no longer be accessible to students, staff, or members of the community during the construction. Students and families affected by the closure of the tennis courts and fields will receive information from their coaches regarding alternative practice locations for these programs.
Thank you to our community for your patience and understanding during the construction period. Questions regarding the project may be submitted to our construction team and district leaders through the Let’s Talk! feature on our district website.
-
March 25, 2024
- Drainage study has been submitted to the City of Saginaw for review.
- Traffic study will be completed and submitted to the City of Saginaw by the end of February.
- Construction documents continue to be developed and reviewed by the district, contractor, architect, and City of Saginaw.
- The guaranteed maximum price (GMP), demolition package will be brought to the Board for consideration in April for a May start of demolition.
- The GMP grading package will be brought to the Board for consideration in May with a May 21 start date for grading.
- The remaining GMP will be brought to the Board in June for consideration.
-
December 15, 2023
The first project to get underway in the 2023 Bond Program is the construction of a new Wayside Middle School, located on Old Decatur Road near Bailey-Boswell Road next to the current school building. On Monday, December 11, the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Board of Trustees approved the construction management method for the project, which is one of the first steps in preparing for construction of a specific bond project. This approval of a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) model means that ²ÝÁñÉçÇø will hire a construction company to oversee the entire building project from start to finish. The district will begin the process of hiring that construction company in January 2024.
Soon after the bond election in November, representatives of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø, project architect VLK and project engineer TNP met with the City of Saginaw regarding the Wayside project. During the meeting, the group discussed the site location and project timelines. The city is requiring ²ÝÁñÉçÇø to provide a traffic impact analysis and a drainage study on the site before they issue construction permits. The district plans to begin conducting these studies in January with the goal of construction hopefully beginning in the spring. The first phase of construction is the demolition of the former ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Administration Building complex located next door to the current Wayside. Once those buildings are demolished and removed, the site can be graded in preparation for the construction of the new middle school.
Wayside Middle School will follow the same general design as Marine Creek Middle School, but will include a color scheme and graphical features that make the school distinctly Wayside, honoring the history and traditions of the campus that date back to the 1960s.
-
Common Questions & Answers
-
When will the new Wayside be ready?
The Wayside project is being completed in two phases; the first phase is the building construction and some parking and the second phase includes the outdoor athletic areas and additional parking. Under current construction timelines, staff would move into the new Wayside building in December 2025 and students would return from winter break to the new building with the start of the spring semester in January 2026. This also will include a new temporary student drop off and pickup traffic plan. The outdoor athletic areas would be complete for the fall 2026 season.
-
Why would the district not wait until after school is out to begin construction?
The primary reason to begin on May 1, 2024, is due to construction timelines. If construction does not begin on schedule, it could delay when staff and students move into the new building in December 2025/January 2026. If move-in dates are delayed, there is a strong possibility that outdoor athletic areas will not be complete in time for fall 2026 sports. Additionally, starting construction in May 2024 will give Wayside staff and parents a chance to adjust to the traffic and parking changes before school is out. This also will give campus leaders time to make adjustments, if needed, to improve the process before school begins in August.
-
Will Wayside students have to move to a temporary location during construction?
No. Our new school building will be located on the site of the former administration building just south of our current campus on Old Decatur Road (across from Bryson Elementary). We will be able to continue to have school in our current building during construction. During state testing times, all construction will be halted to avoid any possible distractions.
-
Will the construction impact my child’s classes during the school day?
We will be able to have classes as normal while construction is underway. Some classes, such as PE and athletics, will make arrangements to use alternate locations when outdoor spaces are needed. Our campus athletics coaches are working with the district Athletics leaders, to coordinate details and information affecting our athletic programs will be communicated directly with those families as adjustments are needed.
-
How will you keep students safe and the construction site secure during the project?
The construction contractor, in partnership with the district Operations team, has developed a comprehensive safety plan to ensure the construction site is not accessible by students or any member of the public. This plan includes security cameras, fencing, security personnel, and limited access points. A pathway along Old Decatur Road will be provided for students who walk/bike to and from school and for general pedestrians.
-
Will there be additional police support for traffic?
Yes. ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Police and Safety and Security will be available to assist with traffic as needed. They also are communicating with Saginaw Police and city leaders regarding traffic flow around the Wayside campus and nearby neighborhoods.
-
What is the design of the new Wayside building?
The new building is based on a prototype similar to (but not exactly the same as) Marine Creek Middle School. The design will include a color scheme and graphical features that make the school distinctly Wayside and will honor the history and traditions of the campus that date back to the 1960s.
-
Will the new school be bigger than the current Wayside?
Yes. Overall square footage of the current Wayside building is 150,000 square feet. Overall square footage of the new WMS building will be 180,000 square feet, which accommodates for new TEA-required science classroom size requirements and a storm shelter. The new building will have a total capacity of 1,200 students.
-
Related Materials