Alief Montessori Community School (AMCS) is dedicated to providing an advantageous learning environment and Montessori curriculum for all students in a public school setting. The school excels in reading, math, and post-secondary readiness, and decided to expand its curriculum into a new middle school. AMCS required a new two-story, 21,000 square foot building to be constructed and contracted PEA Group, formerly known as Brewer Engineering, to provide civil engineering services for the addition.
PEA Group prepared site engineering plans addressing stormwater detention, floodplain fill mitigation, utility connections, and crosswalks to the school’s main campus across the street. Complicated by its small size and floodplain issues, the first floor is elevated four feet above the ground to allow floodwaters to move under the building. The building access at ground level was designed as flood resilient.
The new addition on AMCS’ campus houses classrooms, enrichment spaces, and a theater. The raised second-floor classroom wing protects the outdoor play area from the elements, acting as a shield from inclement weather.
Alief is the only public Montessori charter school in Texas that earned an A rating in the performance domains of school progress, student achievement, and closing the gap over the 2018-2019 school year.