Veterans High School celebrates new additions with ribbon cutting

KATHLEEN, Ga. — The Houston County School District took the time to celebrate their newest addition to Veterans High School at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday. The afternoon’s event saw the school board, community leaders, school district staff, parent leaders and student leaders gather together in Veterans’ newest multi-purpose gym to reflect on the growth the school has seen and showcase the new facility.

After the ceremony, the district provided tours of the new additional classrooms. The expansion also has new facilities for weight training, a larger student store and a refurbished greenhouse.

Sprawling over 400,000 square feet, and boasting 64 new classrooms along with a multipurpose gym, the school’s expansion was likened to adding the equivalent of a large middle school. The design was seamlessly integrated into the existing school, providing a safe option for students as they travel through the hallways.

Chairman Fred Wilson spoke first at the meeting, opening by expressing confidence in the turnout at the event. He also said that the school district was committed to growing as Houston County continues to grow alongside.

“The board of education is committed to providing the best facilities for our students, our teachers and for everyone that is a part of the staff, with the necessary resources to enhance learning and growth,” Wilson said.

Superintendent Dr. Mark Scott introduced notable guests at the meeting and spoke on the community and board’s involvement in the expansion.

“We’re so fortunate to be a part of a community that supports public education,” Scott said. “We’re so fortunate to have community members that have overwhelmingly approved our SPLOST referendums. That’s due to a large part of good stewardship from our board and the great job that they do in making sure that we have adequate facilities for our students and for the community.”

Finally, Veterans High School Principal Dr. Amy Barbour echoed Scott’s remarks, thanking the board, administration and Veterans staff for their support.

“I cannot understate how fortunate we are to have the support of the Houston County School District and the citizens of Houston County,” Barbour said. “Their continued investments in Houston County schools pays their true dividends every day.”

Speaking after the meeting, Dr. Scott said the addition is part of a “comprehensive high school approach” and fulfills the need for a growing community, alongside expansion for the school district’s younger pupils.

“We’ve grown over 950 students, so if you look at that in school populations, 950 students is a school, so we’ve been adding primary and elementary schools,” Scott said. “We’ve got a primary school under construction right now.”

The impact of the expansion would be felt the most by those who use the facility every day — mainly school staff and students — and one of their own reflected with The Journal on learning in the new facility.

According to Robin Hartett, a senior at Veterans High School, students have already been using the new classrooms since the start of the semester. As president of Future Farmers of America, she said she appreciates the larger agricultural studies classroom, and emphasized the now fulfilled need for a larger room.

“Our old room was tiny and cramped, and we were in so much need of more space,” Hartett said. “The request to get a bigger ag room, and them listening to us helped us out immensely. They were very generous.”

Parrish Construction Group, the original builders of the school, took on the construction side of the building, while Robertson Loia Roof took on the architecture side of an addition that helps support student success for years to come. The expansion came from ESPLOST funds, and cost the school district $22 million.

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