Construction of a $9 million project by LS3P Associates LTD. will alter life on North Augusta Middle School's campus, beginning with bus riders.
Buses, now stored at Mossy Creek Elementary School, were once behind the middle school's gym. That area is being prepped for new buildings. Bus riders will have to walk from Crestlyn Drive behind the school.
The new buildings, expected to be finished by June 29, 2011, will house two science labs, two classrooms for science lectures, a new synergistic lab and eight general classrooms. There will also be a new music classroom and cafeteria.
"It will house a whole grade at one time and have a stage area," Principal Barry Head said of the cafeteria. "We have six lunch periods right now. We have to feed half a grade at a time."
The new 6,000-square-foot dining area will allow them to cut lunches to three periods.
Perhaps one of the biggest thrills of the new building for pupils will be the locker space. Head said they have about 650 students and 500 lockers.
"With the new addition most or all should have their own locker," he said.
Four additional portables were added to the seven already on hand to provide classroom space during construction. Head said eighth graders will use the portables while sixth and seventh grades remain inside the main building.
"They'll have to do a lot of moving at the high school so they might as well get used to it," Head said. "In two years we should be able to get rid of all our portables."
Construction will interfere with access to the practice field from the gym area.
To create more classrooms as a result of losing a building to construction, classes like home economics have been cut. That class will still be offered as a life skills class, but "there won't be any cooking," Head said.
The old room was turned into an art room.
Head said he is unsure of the time line for Phase II, which will begin after Phase I is completed. It will include renovations to the existing building, additional administration space and a new media center.
"It will almost look like a brand new building," similar to Paul Knox Middle School, he said.
Pupils will not have to wait two years for all the new luxuries. Air conditioning units were installed in the hallways and panels were added to some windows to keep classrooms cool.
Being the only middle school in Aiken County to make Adequate Yearly Progress last year, and six times in the past eight years, Head said they need the extra space the new buildings will provide.
"We have about 40-60 kids from other schools coming on top of construction," he said. "We are the only school of choice. Our goal is to just provide the best education possible."
Reach Crystal Garcia at crystal.garcia@northaugustatoday.com.
AT A GLANCE
Phase I - completion date June 2011
- Two science labs with shared prep and storage
- Two classrooms for science lectures
- New synergistic lab
- Eight general classrooms
- Music classroom
- New cafeteria
Phase II - completion date unknown
- New media center
- Renovations to existing building
- Additional administrative space
