SPENCER, W.Va. — Middle School Students in Roane County will star the school year next Wednesday in a brand new, state of the art facility. The ribbon was cut Wednesday on the new Spencer Middle School.
The new facility was constructed adjoining Roane County High School and represented a milestone for the county’s Board of Education.
“Roane County High School was build in the early 90’s and ever since the students in the Spencer are have been going to middle school in the old Spencer High School. It’s a fine building, but it was never meant to be a middle school, it’s much larger than we need. Getting a new middle school for the Spencer area has been a goal for a while,” said Superintendent of Roane County Schools Richard Duncan.
The new building is connected to the high school and will solve a lot of logistical issues. The buildings will share the same kitchen with the same food which will be served in two different cafeterias. Busses will be able to make single runs without multiple drop off and pickups at various locations, and middle school students will have access to the high school athletic facilities.
But Duncan said it would also remove a hurdle for accelerated learning.
“We can share programs between the two schools and we can accelerate middle school students into our high school programs much more easily. Instead of putting them on a bus to ride to another location they can simply walk down the hall or a teacher can walk down the hall to them,” he said.
Along with the ribbing cutting many students got to see the new school for the first time on Wednesday.
“That was the best party when we saw so many parents and kids coming in for the first time and they were all very excited,” he said.