Work is continuing on Highland Springs Middle School, the newest middle school for Aiken County Public School District, but the question remains if it will be open in time for the start of the school year on July 25.
A press release from ACPSD stated that due to weather delays and backordered supplies, and with school set to start soon, school officials are preparing for the possibility of a delayed occupancy to the school.
“We are pushing, of course, for occupancy by July 25,” said Chief Officer of Operations Dr. Corey Murphy. “But we want students, their families and our community to know that we have developed a contingency plan for Highland Springs students to begin the year at a temporary school location, if necessary.”
The contingency plan works with several schools in the area, along with Aiken Technical College, but would only go into effect if the campus isn’t ready for the State Department’s Office of School Facilities final inspection that is scheduled for July 12.
The contingency plan includes temporarily housing sixth grade students in their own wing at North Augusta Middle School and seventh and eighth grade students on the second floor of Aiken Tech’s 100 building and the 700 building, making use of 18 classrooms, the gym and a reception area before the college students return for the fall semester, according to the news release. A special programs self-contained classroom would be housed at Paul Knox Middle Schools for students requiring those services.
If this temporary arrangement is necessary, transportation will be provided for the three to four weeks it’s expected to last, the news release stated. Meals will also be provided no matter where the student is located.
“Our hope is that this is nothing more than a plan,” said Highland Springs Middle School Principal Paige Day in the release. “Whether we start the school year on our new campus or temporarily in an alternative location, we’ll be ready on July 25 to welcome our students and ensure safety, effective teaching and learning, as well as access to nutritious meals and efficient transportation.”
The design for middle school was taken from inspiration from the Savannah River, Day said.
“A lot of things they were pulling from where the plants you would find along the river, things like the beaver dams. If you think about the 5th Street bridge, that sort of V-shape geared throughout our building as well,” Day said. “So thematically and design wise, really pulling from the concept of the river, so you’ll see the natural wood and stone finishes as well as a lot of the blue and green throughout the river.”
The sixth, seventh and eighth grade students will all have their own hallways in the building, Day said. The middle school will be able to house approximately 800 students but will be open with around 500 students. Earlier this year the Aiken County Board of Education approved the zoning for the school.
Besides the traditional classroom, there will be a band room, choir room, computer labs, self-contained classrooms, science labs, a courtyard that’s for the art room, one that’s for the media center and one for the cafeteria, Day said.
The building will eventually have the elementary school attached to it and some of the spaces will be connected or shared, including front offices, media center and cafeteria, Day said. There is a retracting wall separating the two cafeterias so it could become one large space if needed.
Day was previously at Paul Knox Middle School and said she wanted to come to HSMS because it was a great opportunity.
“I think it’s exciting anytime that you have a new project and I got to build the staff and the faculty and the culture and so all of that is bringing the community together…” Day said. “It’s just an exciting opportunity to get to do that and I don’t know that many people have the opportunity to do that in their career.”
Highland Springs Middle School is located at 822 Fountainhead Drive off of Belvedere-Clearwater Road in North Augusta.
To stay up to date on Highland Springs Middle School, visit acpsd.net.
Stephanie Hill is a staff writer covering Columbia County government for The Augusta Press. Reach her at stephanie@theaugustapress.com.
