Middletown Middle High School
Now in construction, the new Middletown Middle High School will serve as a model for future school projects, as one of the first combined grade 6-12 public schools in Rhode Island. Designed in partnership with DBVW Architects, this facility is a showcase for the expanded resources, operational and financial efficiencies, and educational opportunities that a well-designed middle high school can provide.
Middletown, RI
212,000 sf
6 – 12
1,088
4 CTE programs
Tracking NE-CHPS Verified Leader
The new middle high school is the leading project in Middletown’s school facility master plan, designed to foster equity and operational efficiency across the district. The plan consolidates grades PK-1 in an early education center and relocates grades 2-5 to the former high school building, which is now being renovated for elementary-level education.
The decision to combine Middletown’s middle and high school into a single facility necessitated thoughtful design strategies that establish distinct identities for each school and ensure age-appropriate learning environments. A forum stair in the school’s light-filled central core bridges a significant elevation change across the site and connects separate middle and high school entrances on the first and second floor. This space also provides an informal gathering area for dining, study, and socializing.
Home to the school’s public-facing amenities including dining areas, a media center, performance spaces, and athletic facilities, the central core is characterized by its tall ceilings, expansive windows, and tile murals, creating a bright and welcoming environment for students and the Middletown community.
Dedicated middle and high school academic wings flank the public-facing core, replicating the experience of two separate schools within a single facility. Each wing features clusters of classrooms, science labs, project areas, and support spaces surrounding multi-story lightwells.
With this project, Middletown has expanded its high school career technical education (CTE) programs in computer science, health careers, and manufacturing technology with state-of-the-art labs, makerspaces, and shops that open to outdoor learning spaces for large-scale projects. On the first and second floors, high school CTE spaces and middle school STEAM classrooms are in close proximity, forming a CTE-STEAM spine for hands-on, career-focused learning opportunities at all levels.
