Madrid Middle School

Alfred Madrid Middle School

“the Bones”

BEFORE –For years, the Mountain View School District and the roughly 850 students attending Alfred Madrid Middle School in El Monte called the area just past their back steps “the Bones.” It was, literally, a dump – a no-mans land between the school and an old metal factory littered with abandoned sofas, TVs, mattresses and other household trash. It was not the kind of place that invited exploration, much less physical exercise or a game of tag.

Community Involvement

Community-based park design incorporates ideas from residents, city officials, and other stakeholders, building support and excitement for the project.

Ariel view and design concept of the Madrid Middle School Exercise Trail

Madrid Middle School’s PE teachers and eighth-grade students provided park amenity ideas; their goal – physical fitness; training stations are located throughout the park for circuit type exercises and walking trails to keep visitors moving while enjoying the green space.

Getting the park site ready – Students participated in removing invasive plants and with the help of the California Conservation Corps, and Los Angeles Conservation Corps removed 124 tons of trash and debris from the site. From the photographs, you can see the change the park brought to the area, once a trash-laden lot – now a beautiful safe place for children and families to play.

Students using the Push-Up Station on the Exercise Trail