Karla Gonzalez-Morales knows a good thing when she sees it. As she looked around at the Horizon Uptown community surrounding what will be her children’s new school, she could envision a litany of bright days ahead.
Gonzalez-Morales delivered an impassioned speech during the recent groundbreaking ceremony for Aurora Public Schools’ newest P-8 school, currently under construction in northeastern Aurora. Once the dust settles—literally and figuratively—the school will be like a new home for her two children.
“When a community comes together like this, it sends a powerful message to our children that their education is a priority worth celebrating,” Gonzalez-Morales said.
Community was the overarching theme throughout the event, where APS students, families and staff joined the Board of Education and a host of supporters to celebrate the construction progress on the 124,000-plus square foot building. The new school will replace the current Clyde Miller P-8 building, which first opened in 1981 as an elementary school and later transitioned to a P-8. While the Clyde Miller community has thrived, the building was not designed with the instructional spaces or amenities of modern P-8 schools and is in need of significant repairs.
The new P-8 school will serve the Clyde Miller community as well as current and future Horizon Uptown students and families. It will feature a unique floorplan with three floors and an abundance of windows to allow for natural light throughout the structure. Students will be able to take advantage of exploratory labs on each floor along with two art rooms and two music rooms (vocal and instrumental). The school will also feature a full-size gym and a robust athletics program for middle school students.
APS Superintendent Michael Giles, Jr. touched on the collaboration between the architects, construction management teams and developers and the enormous part that plays in making projects like this a reality.
Before all was said and done, students, families, community members and supporters were able to scribe their names, messages, handprints and similar other signs of support on a structural beam that will be housed at the new school. Prior to installation, the beam will likely be moved to Clyde Miller P-8 to allow others to sign it.
APS looks forward to officially opening the new school in August 2026!