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THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 -14, 2019 • Page 10
McNair Middle School Principal Ronald Mitchell takes media on a tour through the school’s new building
before the school year began. Photo by Taylor Robins.
The middle school features a new weight room for athletes.
McNair Middle School’s new turf practice field where football, soccer and
lacrosse can be played.
Students at the new McNair Middle School will be able to learn family
consumer science in its classroom with new kitchen appliances.
A new beginning for a south
DeKalb middle school
McNair Middle gets major upgrade
BY TAYLOR ROBINS
Taylor@dekalbchamp.com
The new building
for Ronald E. McNair
Middle School is open
and operating for the new
2019-2020 school year.
District officials invited
The Champion Newspaper
to tour the facility Aug.
1 before doors opened to
students and faculty Aug. 5.
“I’d just like to say
welcome to the new Ronald
E. McNair Middle School,”
said McNair Middle School
Principal Ronald Mitchell.
The facility includes a
weight room, band suite,
engineering and shop class,
family consumer science
class, breakout areas for
group work, gym, dance
room, amphitheater center,
courtyard, media center
and a turf practice field for
football, lacrosse and soccer.
The facility also features
open spaces around the
building, sound panels in the
gym and auditorium, walls
that students and teachers
can write on, and movable
walls that allow class rooms
to be combined.
“The new building
is wonderful,” said
Mitchell. “It’s great for
the community. It gives
the students rejuvenation.
We just had open house
yesterday, and it ran an
hour over because the kids
and parents were so excited
about being here.”
Mitchell said with the
students’ increased state test
scores and the new building,
he looks forward to what’s
to come for the school’s
students.
Evergreen Construction
built the new facility, which
cost $42 million and took
two years to build. The
new building can hold
1,000 students and can be
expanded to hold up to
1,600 students. Evergreen
Construction will also
build the new Pleasantdale
Elementary and the new
Cross Keys High School
building.
McNair Middle School’s
old building, that has now
been demolished, was
originally Gordon High
School and could hold 1,300
students. The high school’s
first class graduated in 1956.
Construction has been competed for the new Ronald E. McNair Middle School. The facility Includes an
amphitheater.
McNair Middle School Principal Ronald Mitchell takes media on a tour through the school's new building.
