Huntsville City Schools marked a major milestone in its long-term facilities plan last week with a groundbreaking ceremony for a new shared campus that will house Chapman Middle School, a re-imagined STEM Magnet Middle School and Artemis Virtual Academy.
According to Huntsville City Schools, the new campus will be built at the existing Chapman Middle School site on Reuben Drive and is expected to cost approximately $70 million. The schools are slated to open in January 2028 and are part of the district’s 10-year, $600 million capital improvement plan.
The 29-acre campus will total nearly 162,000 square feet and feature specialized classrooms, interactive teaching walls, a full-size gymnasium and athletic spaces. Plans also include an e-gaming lab and an arena designed for drone and robotics competitions, reflecting the district’s focus on science, technology, engineering and math education.
Chapman Middle School and the new STEM Magnet Middle School will continue to serve students in grades six through eight. Chapman will remain a neighborhood school within the Lee feeder pattern, while the STEM Magnet Middle School will draw students from across the city. Artemis Virtual Academy will continue serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Huntsville City Schools credited several partners for their role in the project, including architects McMillan Pazdan Smith, TCU Consulting Services and Lee Builders. The district also thanked Mayor Tommy Battle, the Huntsville City Council, the Madison County Commission and state representatives for their continued support.
District officials said the shared campus is designed to honor Chapman Middle School’s long-standing role in the community while creating a modern, future-focused learning environment. The project represents another step in Huntsville City Schools’ broader effort to upgrade facilities and expand educational opportunities across the district.
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