About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 2019)
LOCAL 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.
