Madison‑area students returned to school earlier this month to a familiar rhythm—but with something big happening just beyond the classroom windows. This year, several campuses are transforming, and JSD is proud to be part of the design team bringing these next‑generation learning environments to life.

After voters approved an unprecedented $507 million Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) facilities referendum in November 2024, construction is now underway to rebuild or renovate seven schools across the district. It’s a once‑in‑a‑generation investment—and JSD is helping shape every site from the ground up.

Our Legacy in School Design Runs Deep

This isn’t our first time supporting a community through a major referendum. Not long ago, JSD played a key role in the $181 million Verona Area School District referendum, which delivered the new Verona Area High School and improvements across five additional campuses. At the time, both the Verona and MMSD programs ranked among the largest school referendum efforts in the Midwest—not just in dollar amount, but in scope, scale, and complexity.

These projects demonstrate something essential: civil engineering, landscape architecture, and planning aren’t just support services—they’re foundational to designing modern schools. They shape how students arrive, move, play, explore, and connect with their environment every single day.

Where JSD Makes the Difference

Across MMSD’s new schools, JSD is collaborating closely with architectural partners to define the entire exterior experience. Our work includes:

• Site design that organizes campuses for safety, flow, and long‑term flexibility
• Pedestrian and vehicle circulation that supports efficient drop‑off, pick‑up, and daily movement
• Stormwater systems that double as educational and ecological assets
• Outdoor learning and play environments that spark curiosity, creativity, and connection
• Landscape architecture that elevates the campus identity and supports student well‑being

JSD has the expertise to assist Districts and their selected planning and design consultants years prior to referendums going to the public for vote. Our expertise in these pre-referendum services provides a long-range campus planning and organizational strategy to align the potential facility improvements with District needs as well as invoke meaningful design objectives to excite the project stakeholders and public on the facility improvements which need their support. JSD’s design experience investigates ways to enhance education spaces beyond the walls of the buildings with thoughtful site design objectives. 

What’s Happening at MMSD Right Now

Construction is actively underway at two MMSD sites:

• Sherman Middle School / Malcolm Shabazz City High School
• Black Hawk Middle School / Samuel Gompers Elementary School

These new buildings are scheduled to open in Fall 2027.

Phase 2 construction begins Spring 2027, with openings planned for Fall 2028. Phase 3 renovations start in early 2028, with occupancy expected in Fall 2029.

A key benefit for families: all schools will remain open during construction, thanks to a strategic approach that builds new facilities near the existing ones—minimizing disruption and keeping students rooted in their home communities.

Partner With JSD on Your Next School Project

At JSD, we ask one central question: How can we make the experience of going to school memorable for every student, educator, and visitor?

We all remember the feeling of walking into school, finding our place, discovering our favorite outdoor nook, or racing across the playground. Those moments matter. They shape childhood. And they’re exactly what our team keeps in mind as we design the exterior environments of tomorrow’s schools.

If your community is beginning conversations about a future referendum—or simply exploring what’s possible—we’d love to collaborate early in your planning process. Thoughtful site design sets the tone for decades of learning, growth, and community pride.