New schools in Clark County: ‘Warm and invited’Subscriber Exclusive

New La Center Middle School designed to embrace students, accommodate growth

By Meg Wochnick, Columbian staff writer

Published: September 26, 2021, 6:03am

13 Photos

Seventh-grade students pause for the Pledge of Allegiance as they have their homeroom in the library, which is still being unpacked, at the new La Center Middle School. It's the first new school building in the district since the early 1990s. (Photos by Amanda Cowan/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

LA CENTER — Lauri Landerholm jokes that leading up to the first day of classes in La Center earlier this month, she pegged herself a principal without a place.

That’s because contractors at the new La Center Middle School worked right up until the first day of school Sept.