Middle school and high school students will have separate facilities, such as gyms, band rooms and computer labs, Thibeault said. High school students will occupy the second floor.
The original plan called for phasing out the middle school and turning Patterson Mill exclusively into a high school. But those plans may change depending on enrollment, Morrison said.
"None of that is predictable at this point," Morrison said. "For the foreseeable future, it will be a middle/high school."
In an earlier interview this year, Thibeault said having a combination school had benefits.
"The beauty of a sixth- through 12th-grade school is that you don't have that transition anxiety you go through when you go from middle school to high school," he said. "You go upstairs and you're in high school."
Last year, about 700 Patterson Mill students voted for the husky as the school's mascot, outpacing the lion and the pioneer. They also selected black, silver and teal as school colors.
The dedication ceremony for the new facility is scheduled for Oct. 28.
High school students will have to wake up a little earlier to get to class on time. Classes will start at 7:30 a.m., 15 minutes earlier than last year.
Classes will also dismiss earlier, with the school day ending at 2 p.m., instead of 2:15.
High school classes had to start earlier to accommodate bus schedules, Morrison said. Because of an increased number of students and traffic, school buses had difficulty dropping off high school students and picking up middle school students on time.
Schedules for middle and elementary schools remain unchanged, with classes starting at 8:15 a.m. and 9 a.m. respectively.
madison.park@baltsun.com
Mary Gail Hare contributed to this article.
