Belmont Opens State-of-the-Art Middle School

The much anticipated Belmont Middle School — part of the $295 million project that combines grades seven through 12 — will officially open with the start of the school year on Wednesday, September 6.

Those walking through the 450,000 square-foot building will immediately notice the abundance of light streaming through giant windows and plentiful communal space. The net zero energy building is equipped with smart systems so lights, heating, and cooling turn on and off automatically to eliminate wasted resources. 

This year, grades seven and eight will occupy the newly opened east end of the complex. The west end of campus, housing the high school grades nine through 12 opened in September 2021.

A photographic tour of the new school

Photo credits: Valerie Wencis

Belmont Middle and High School Building Committee Chair Bill Lovallo described it as a “thoughtful separation” between the two schools. For starters, the three-story middle school has a separate entrance for student pick-up and drop-off in the back of the complex and double doors that shut between the two schools. In addition to its own classrooms and science labs, the middle school also has its own learning resource center (library), nurse’s office, cafeteria, locker rooms and gym area.

Seventh and eighth grade each have their own floor, and middle schoolers will be grouped by grade into teams to foster a more close-knit environment. Each team has its own dedicated space with clusters of couches and tables. There will be three teams of approximately 120 students per grade, following the Chenery model for this first transitional year, but the building’s design allows for four teams per grade.

“It’s not just the feeling of a middle school, it’s the feeling of independence,” Lovallo said, pointing out the amount of light and bright spaces throughout the building.

The middle school even has its own color scheme — shades of red that complement the shades of blue found in the high school, together comprising Belmont’s team colors. The use of those colors can help students, staff and visitors to identify which building they’re in. Spaces shared by middle and high schools include both red and blue trim.

“The opening of the Belmont Middle School is not just about a new building, it is the opportunity for innovation in how we educate our students,” Belmont Public Schools Superintendent Jill Geiser wrote in a statement to The Belmont Voice.

Shared Spaces
While much effort went into designing two distinct schools in one building, there are also many shared spaces.

For students interested in the arts, Belmont Middle and High School includes a fully accessible, 700-person auditorium complete with a catwalk and covered orchestra pit; the black box theater; art rooms including photography labs and pottery kilns; and broadcast studios. For budding engineers and scientists there are maker spaces including robotics rooms.

There are also new Occupational and Physical Therapy rooms and a life skills space complete with a kitchen and laundry machines for students enrolled in the LABBB Educational Collaborative, a special education services program that serves Belmont students as well as those in Lexington, Arlington, Bedford and Burlington.

Lovallo said this sharing of resources promotes community cohesion, which is also reflected in the school’s name.

“In the end, through many discussions and many different names, Belmont Middle and High School was the name they chose because it really talks about inclusion and bringing the school together. It’s not one school shared with another, but it’s one school that has everyone contributing,” he said.

“From the cutting-edge technology and energy-efficient design, to the interactive learning spaces, students and staff are positioned to create unique and powerful learning experiences that will prepare our students for their future,” wrote Geiser.

Meanwhile, athletes will find a fully equipped workout room and expansive new athletic facilities, including the refurbished pool. They’ll also make use of three new fields — including the relocated Brendan Grant field — used for baseball, soccer, lacrosse and softball.

Traffic Concerns 
If you’ve ever driven through Belmont Center on school days, you know just how bad traffic can get. With about 650 students at the middle school joining about 1300 high schoolers on campus, all that traffic is about to get even worse. The district has sent information to families about drop-off and pick-up procedures for middle and high school students.

And Roy Epstein, chair of both the Belmont Select Board and the Middle High School Traffic Working Group, sent out an email to the community, thanking students in advance for walking or cycling to school. He also included a list of suggested routes, which you can find on The Belmont Voice Facebook page. 

But Epstein says no amount of planning can totally prepare for what happens when the new school opens. 

“We’re prepared to act quickly,” he said. “But won’t know until school opens.”

New Town-wide School Reconfiguration 
The opening of the new Belmont Middle School is the first phase in a town-wide school reconfiguration plan. This year, only fifth and sixth graders will attend what’s now called Chenery Upper Elementary School, and the town’s four elementary schools will continue to serve grades K–4.

Next year, everything changes. The elementary schools will become primary schools, with students in K–3, and Chenery will be home to fourth through sixth grades. Administrators say this will create much-needed space at each of Belmont’s existing elementary schools.