HHS Students See Building in Process & Explore Careers on Site
Twenty Highline High School (HHS) students stepped onto an active construction site to see how a school is built and explore careers in the skilled trades.
Students enrolled in HHS' Core Plus Construction pre-apprenticeship class visited the future Pacific Middle School on May 14 for a behind-the-scenes look at the building process and the many careers involved in construction. Core Plus Construction is a dual-credit Career and Technical Education (CTE) class that gives students hands-on construction experience while helping them earn both high school and college credit.
Career-Connected Learning at the Pacific Construction Site
Students toured the school construction site and participated in hands-on activities. They learned from project staff about the many careers involved in building a school, from planning and engineering to electrical, concrete and safety work.
For many students, it was their first time visiting an active construction site. Their experience connected classroom learning to real-world careers and gave students the chance to hear directly from professionals working in the field.
The visit gave students a close look at one of Highline’s largest construction projects currently underway.
Skanska, the general contractor building the new middle school, hosted the learning experience and introduced students to careers across the construction industry.
Experiences like this help connect Highline students to real-world learning and future career pathways.
Bond Project Update: Pacific Middle School, May 2026
Construction continues at the future Pacific Middle School as crews make steady progress on the new building scheduled to open fall 2027.
Students and families may notice visible changes across the site as crews finish installing roofing and exterior walls, while underground utility and geothermal systems move forward. Inside, interior insulation and drywall will be installed once the building is sealed from the weather.
The school is beginning to take shape, giving the community a closer look at the new learning facility being built for Pacific students. The project is part of Highline’s 2022 bond program and will provide updated classrooms and modern learning environments designed to support students in Des Moines for years to come.
In Case You Missed It
Crews completed the structural steel columns and beams that will support the school and celebrated with a topping out ceremony at the end of March.
For more information about the design or timeline, visit our website page about the Pacific construction project.