Aquilla J. Morgan High School

Summarize the project's program, features and achievements?

Aquilla J. Morgan High School, the newest addition to the district, is set to open in August, bringing much -needed relief to nearby Lennard and Sumner high schools. The 359,000 -square-foot school will introduce a variety of new programs and a state-of-the-art campus. The school will offer an automotive program with a focus on electric vehicles, as well as new programs in cosmetology, culinary arts, esports and pickleball courts. The 2 -story gymnasium will feature an indoor walking track, and the media center will also span two levels.

Aquilla J. Morgan High School has received national recognition for its commitment to sustainable construction, earning an Architectural Award from the Slag Cement Association (SCA) as part of the 2025 Slag Cement in Sustainable Concrete Awards Program.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project?

Schedule & Site: Situated on an 87-acre greenfield site, the project required massive foundational site development, including the construction of five retention ponds. The team overcame the logistical challenges of this expansive site to meet their milestone timelines, successfully achieving their "topping out" milestone and opening the campus for the August school year.

Budget: Delivered on a budget of ($178) million, the project is the most expensive high school constructed in Hillsborough County. The budget accommodated extensive site work and state-of-the-art facilities.

Program & Specifications: To support Wimauma's rapid community growth, the school was programmed for a maximum capacity of 3,500 students. Project specifications addressed this scale with a two -story gymnasium, a two- story media center, and specialized career-focused labs (including an electric vehicle automotive shop, cosmetology, and culinary arts)

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project?

Concentrated loads on a curved surface alter the center of gravity, requiring precise calculations to avoid eccentricities.

Custom Formwork, crews utilize specialized flexible formwork placed directly on the casting slab to achieve the exact radius or architectural arch. True curves in tilt-up are rarely cast as a continuous smooth arch; instead, they are often designed as a series of segmented, straight "chord" panels joined at precise angles.