BAMex is a wing of Independence High School that will be dedicated to the overflow of eighth grade students at Brambleton Middle School that will begin holding students in the fall of 2021. The eighth grade students will be split into two groups and spend their time between Brambleton Middle School and Independence High School.
On days the students are at BAMex, they will start with resource (study hall in middle school) first block before taking a bus to the Independence High School campus.
This change comes after continued growth in the zoning area for the middle school. An estimated 250-300 students will attend classes at BAMex. With more growth on the horizon, it is speculated that BAMex may be needed for up to three years.
To minimize contact between high school and middle school students, BAMex will have a separate entrance, lunch time, and class schedule. A staff of 12 educators will be working at BAMex along with additional staff such as deans and counselors.
Students at BAMex will be permitted to carry a backpack, much like Independence High School students, but they will also be given the option to have a locker at Brambleton Middle School.
In order to make this a smooth transition, Mr. John Gabriel, Independence Principal, has been in communication with Brambleton Principal, Mrs. Renee Dawson, to discuss the addition of BAMex. Other schools who have also gone through this process have reportedly been consulted.
In a video released to the public, Dawson stresses that “BAMex is just an extension of Brambleton. We want to make sure our students know that they are still middle school students [and] they are still going to experience the things you would as an eighth grade student.”
More information on this change will be provided to the families of rising 8th graders as the school year approaches.