THORNTON, CO — Saunders Construction announces that it is on pace to complete the construction of School District 27J’s new middle school, Rodger Quist Middle School (RQMS) several months before the originally expected delivery date. The school, which is currently under construction, is on pace to be open seven months early — allowing the new school to open early to students, teachers and staff in January 2020, instead of the originally scheduled date of August 2020.
“Due to the smart planning, hard work and dedication of the project team, we are thrilled to be delivering this much-needed facility to School District 27J ahead of schedule,” said Tom Alford, Vice President at Saunders Construction.
The 132,492-square-foot middle school is being built on 21 acres and will have a student capacity of 825 students for grades sixth through eighth. Currently, there are 670 Quist students attending school in Riverdale Ridge High School, across the street from the Quist construction site.
Quist will be the fifth middle school building in the district. The middle school is named for longtime, retired 27J Educator Rodger Quist who served as Principal at Northeast Elementary (1977-1985), Overland Trail Middle School (1985-1990) and South Elementary (1990-1995.)
Additional factors contributing to an earlier school opening include the dedication of the entire architect and construction teams, an early mild winter allowing for construction to continue on pace and the decision to install a temporary roof on RQMS to allow for interior work including electrical, drywall and cabinetry to be completed earlier.