BROOKE COUNTY, W. Va. — It’s celebration of growth and development in Brooke County Tuesday as officials cut the ribbon on the new Brooke County middle school, getting it ready for teachers and students later this week.
"I just think if we’re going to create workers for the next generation, this is the kind of school we need,” said U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
"We really had a focus on safety and security for the students,” said architect Patrick Rymer. "As they move through the school, they’re going to see exciting spaces, lots of daylight in the school, lots of new materials, new science labs, STEM labs."
"When you enter the main doors, you can’t get anywhere else but right there,” said Principal Jennifer Sisinni.
NEWS9 was invited inside for a tour of the roughly $30 million project that’s drastically changed from there former buildings.
"We had what we called a ‘café-gym-atorium,’ because it was a cafeteria, gymnasium and auditorium altogether,” Sisinni said. “We now have three separate spaces for that, so that’s huge."
Brand new, state-of-the-art facilities like a gymnasium and the new and improved multi-purpose work areas.
"An idea of collaborative work spaces that can be generative of change for new learning modalities,” said Rymer.
Things like glass panel partitions, tablets for every student, room dividing walls and views of the football and baseball fields.
The large school was designed for approximately 1,000 students.
"There’s a lot of excitement in the community,” Capito said. “Cutting-edge technology and school infrastructure is so important, but what goes on inside is the most important thing."
"I want to wish them a special memorable school year,” Sisinni said. “I hope they enjoy coming here as much as the teachers are going to."
Students will have an opportunity to see the school Thursday for orientation. School will begin Friday.