Eden Prairie School District officials were kind enough to guide our Rotarians around the new CMS infrastructure. The construction started in March 2020, and although there have been some supply chain issues, EPS is proud to have opened the middle school on time. The new facilities give students space to learn in authentic ways. The additional wings, such as the instrumental practice rooms and open community spaces, allow for collaborative learning and an innovative course curriculum. For example, the flexible rolling desks and chairs allow students to easily create groups in order to work together. The garage doors between the cafeteria and media center also allow for students to flow between the two areas during their free time. Although one might think the open spaces in the hallways would create loud distractions for the adjacent classrooms, the areas are designed to keep the sound from reaching other classrooms.

This construction also included the addition of the 6th-grade wing. Grades are still grouped in pods throughout the middle school, however, so it still gives a sense of community and cohesiveness for students, which was a large concern from 6th-grade parents going into this transition.