Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Building of
New School for Midland
June 17 Event Features the Placing of Steel Beams
Signed by Midland Students

In celebration of the building of Midland Elementary School on the site where a school has served local children since 1925, the Poway Unified School District is hosting a special groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, June 17, 2005, beginning at 2:00 p.m.

The ceremony will feature the placing of two final steel beams in the new multi-purpose room auditorium. The beams have been signed by all of the current students at Midland Elementary School, which is temporarily located on the Garden Road Elementary School campus. The beams are scheduled to be affixed to the structure and become a permanent part of the history of Midland Elementary School.

Marylou Wilson, principal of Midland Elementary School, will welcome guests who will be gathered in the parking lot area of the new school. Members of the PUSD Board of Education and the Building for Success Citizens’ Oversight Committee will be recognized along with former principals of Midland Elementary School. Music will be provided by the Midland Elementary School Fifth Grade Band conducted by Jack Erb. Madison Chapman, Midland’s Student Council President, will lead the flag salute. Speakers include PUSD Board of Education President Andy Patapow, Superintendent Donald A. Phillips, Ed.D., and Deputy Superintendent John Collins. Special presentations will be made by Poway Mayor Mickey Cafagna and Tex Barnhart of Pinnacle One/Barnhart.

The construction of Midland Elementary School is part of the PUSD Building for Success program funded by the Proposition U bond measure passed in November 2002. Proposition U is the $198 million local school facilities bond program to modernize 24 older schools in the Poway Unified School District. Midland Elementary School, the oldest school in the district, has been demolished and will soon be replaced with a new campus including three classroom buildings, an administration center, library, multi-purpose room, and playground areas.  There will be both two-story and single-story buildings. The Midland students and staff started the 2004-2005 school year at their temporary campus hosted by Garden Road Elementary School. The new Midland school site is scheduled to be completed during the winter of 2005-2006. Visit the Midland Elementary School Construction solar-powered Webcam (on sunny days) at www.camerawebpage.com/midland.

The Poway Unified School District would like to thank the following companies for their generous donations to make this event possible: Advanced Plumbing, E.F. Brady Company, Davis Mechanical, Gould Electric, International Iron, Interpipe, NTD/Stichler Architecture, Pinnacle One/Barnhart, and Whillock Contracting, Inc.

Midland Elementary School is located at 13910 Midland Road in Poway.