REDMOND, OR --Redmond’s newest middle school is on track to be completed by the end of the month. Redmond Proficiency Academy Director Jon Bullock says the 24,000-square foot facility will open for sixth-through-eighth grade students on September sixth. "Typically we start the week before that. But, we knew – construction being what it is – we wanted to give ourselves a little bit of extra time to make sure everything was ready for our students on the first day. This year we decided to push that start time back a little bit. But, we’re on target to have the ribbon cutting and grand opening on September first; we’re excited about that and excited to have our students come see the school." 

Dr. Bullock tells KBND News, "Finishing touches are going on in the building. You know, all the cabinetry’s been put in place; windows are being finished. We’re probably about a week and a half out from being able to get the building in its final stages of clean and do a punch list. And then, we’ve got some time to move in the new furniture that will go in the building." The charter school was forced to move out of the Hugh Hartman building to accommodate the new Redmond Early Learning Center.

He says the new facility at 25th and West Antler begins a new chapter for the charter school. "This building really is a testament to the contribution that RPA is making to the educational environment of our community and our state. I think when people walk in and see that it’s designed with our students in mind, I think they’re going to be blown away and excited about it. I’m incredibly excited; I get to see it everyday. I tell you, there are times I walk through there and it’s hard to hold back tears thinking about how far RPA has come in the past eight years."