In December 2014, Springfield Public Schools and BBT started to create an Education Specification for all future middle schools in their district. With a strong vision and a fully engaged process that included staff, students, and the community, Hamlin Middle School was the first school to be created with these new Education Specification criteria in mind.

Integral to the development of the STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) educational specifications were community members who brought passion, participation, and ideas to the process. They were an essential part of the design team whose initial visions were realized in the final building.