United Middle School

Infobox School


name=United Middle School
type=Public
location= 700 Del Mar Blvd.
Laredo, TX
information=[phone]
established=1971
grades=6-8
enrollment=800+
faculty=
principal=David Canales

mascot=Maverick
colors=Orange and Blue
district=United Independent School District
website= [http://ums.unitedisd.org/ ums.unitedisd.org]

United Middle School is a middle school located in the northern portion of Laredo, Texas and is a part of the United Independent School District. Enrollment at United Middle school is estimated to be about 900 students. The current campus is overcrowded and a new middle school campus is in the planning stages for the area to relieve United Middle School. The new school is slated to open for the 2009-2010 school year in the current grounds of United High School (Texas) once that school moves into their own new campus. This particular school was the first school in the country to be designed so that the school was built mostly underground. The reason behind this was so it could double as a bomb shelter in the event of a nuclear attack.

History

In 1971, what is now known as United Middle School, opened as United High School (Texas) just as the U.I.S.D was forming. The building was built as a two story building with the first level being completely underground and only exposing the second level on the surface. This was so that it could be used as a bomb shelter in the event of a nuclear attack. At the time of its construction, it was the first of its kind throughout the United States. As the population grew, a new campus was needed, and so a new United High School (Texas) campus was built and this one became known as the 8th Grade Campus for U.I.S.D. For ten years, from 1984-1994, nearly all students that were in the 8th grade came to this campus. At the beginning of the 1994-95 school year, there was remodeling done that included adding on to the band hall, and adding a brand new cafeteria on the southeastern side of the second floor facing Del Mar Blvd. Also, it's interesting to know, unlike any other of the middle schools in U.I.S.D., this campus does have it own auditorium which can hold up to 200 people.

tandardized dress

Starting in the 2006-2007 school year, students are required to follow standardized dress code provided by the district.

The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform. Parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

Feeder schools

Feeder elementary schools include:
*Colonel Santos Benavides Elementary School
*Nye Elementary School

United Middle feeds into both John B. Alexander High School (75% of students) and United High School (Texas) (25% of students)

External links

* [http://www.uisd.net/ United Independent School District]